1. Know Your Limits. This is a hard one. Some people cannot tolerate long distance running year after year. I’ve seen this in my office all too often. Some people try again and again to get to the marathon distance, but just keep getting hurt. Everyone has a threshold. Learn yours. Follow the rules and avoid too much, too soon, too fast syndrome! If you get to 15 miles and get hurt every time, maybe your body is trying to tell you something. Work on your 5K time instead of trying to attempt a marathon yet again.
2. Listen to Your Body. I give this advice every time I talk to a group of runners. Many do not listen. If you get out of bed feeling like you got run over by a train, perhaps a little rest in is order; not a long run! Most injuries do not spontaneously occur; they start with little aches and pains. Ironman triathletes are the worse! Do not “train through the pain”. That’s just plain stupid (and yes, I’ve tried to do it too!)
3. Consider Shortening Your Stride. I have to admit, I hadn’t really thought of this advice until I read Amby Burfoot’s article. It makes sense. Overstriding increases stress, so shortening your stride will soften the landing when you run. I think this is also why the recent “barefoot” or “minimalist” craze has taken a string hold. It’s hard to overstride in minimalist shoes!
4. Strength Training Can Help. One thing that has been shown to decrease running injuries is strength training. This is especially true in women. Core strength training twice a week can really help you avoid the doctors office and prolonged time on the couch.
5. Ice is your Friend! See my video on first aid for tendonitis, rest and repeat every time you have an ache or pain. A little rest, ice, compression and elevation goes a long way!
6. The Surface Makes a Difference. Here’s great tip: Don’t always run on the right side of the road facing traffic! It allows you to see the cars coming at you, but here in Texas, it means you always run on a slight slant that causes a functional leg length discrepancy. (And don’t try to make up for it by putting a lift in your left shoe- that’s stupid too!) Also try to vary your surfaces, one day on the road, one day on the track, perhaps a treadmill day or a day on the golf course. Trails are also a good thing to put in the mix. The same thing, at the same speed, on the same surface all the time can quickly add up to an injury.
7. Too Hard, Too Much is a Recipe for Disaster! When I was younger (about a thousand years ago) I used to “race into shape”. Not a great plan unless you are a gifted teenager! Too much speed work or too much racing beats the heck out of your body. Always follow a hard day with an easy one, or two if you are over 35!
8. Stretch. I’m not going to debate the value of stretching. I’ve done that in other articles. I know there are some people who think stretching is bad. I’m not one of them! All I know is that runners that are tight get hurt a heck of a lot more than those that are flexible.
9. Cross training is not a Bad Word! When I turned 40 (yes, about 5 seconds ago), I took up triathlon. Why? Because I knew as a thin female runner, getting older, I needed to cross train to keep up my aerobic fitness and decrease the stress on my body. This lead to a love of swimming and eventually an Ironman. Who says you can’t evolve as an endurance junkie? Seriously though, swimming, biking, the elliptical, circuit weight training….These all help to maintain your fitness and change up the stressors n your body.
10. Shoes Make a Difference! Find the shoe that works for you. Your podiatrist or a good experienced shoe sales person can help you, but bottom line….get a shoe that fits and is the correct type for your foot type. The reason there are a million shoes are on the market, and growing, is that there is not one perfect running shoe (although this doesn’t stop people from asking for it!)
11. Orthotics Can Help! I realize that many people are shying away from corrective orthotic and trying to embrace the minimalist wave. Not everyone can run barefoot and not everyone needs orthotics. If you continue to have similar injuries over and over, what’s the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over, yet expecting a different outcome! If you are one of those biomechanically perfect gazelles, more power to you! But most of us could use a little help in that department. In many cases, you can correct some biomechanical problems with strengthening and stretching, but let’s face it….most of us are too lazy to do the work to correct our biomechanical imbalances. Orthotics can help. Thin of the as eye glasses for your feet. The majority of us could benefit from a tire realignment!

Let's talk about how to reach your goals in 2012!

Happy New Year! More in 2012!

1. Hydrate. Sounds obvious, but I don’t mean only when you are running. I keep a water bottle next to my computer and try to drink on and off all day. The heat outside mixed with the air conditioning inside is a recipe for dehydration even before you start running. While you are training, make sure you carry a water bottle. Don’t rely on there being water on a course or water fountains on the trail being in working order. Drink 15 minutes before your run and at least every 15 minutes while running.
2. Dress for the heat. Naked is never a good idea, but I have thought about it. I’m sure the Grapevine police wouldn’t mind! Seriously, this is not the time for cotton t-shirts. Splurge on some moisture wicking shirts and shorts. There are even some new sun repellent, yet surprisingly cool, long sleeve shirts for the fair skinned ones among us who can use the extra SPF.
3. SPF is what it is all about. Sunscreen or you will burn in as little as 15 minutes of sun exposure. Bull Frog makes an SPF 100 water proof sunscreen that rocks! Wear it! No sense being in great shape but dying of skin cancer!
4. Salt Tablets. If you are going long, salt tablets are helpful to keep your systems going. I take at least two an hour when training in the heat, more if sweating like crazy. Hyponatremia (low sodium) can become a medical emergency!
5. Wear a heart rate monitor. You will be amazed in how much your heart rate goes up when it is hot. Stay in your zones, even if that means walking up hills! You want quality miles, not garbage miles!
6. Use common sense. Get heat acclimatized by running short distances in the heat and building up slowly. Don’t go out the hottest day of the year so far and do a track workout at 3pm in the afternoon! If you are pushing the envelope, be aware of the sign of heat exhaustion. If you are feeling light headed, have goose bumps or your heart is racing; time to find a tree or a neighbor’s house. Heat stroke kills too!

Get motivated and get out there, but run safely in the heat so we can all enjoy the fall race season!

Tips for Your First Ironman

1. Simplicity trumps everything for race nutrition plans. The simpler it is, the more likely you'll stick to it. For example, consider having all your bike calories in a single water bottle.

2. Pack all your bags and race stuff on Thursday afternoon so you have all Thursday and Friday to think through it, make sure you have everything, and aren't rushed. In general, do things early. No rushing equals no stress.

3. Consider taking melatonin or another sleep aid (assuming you've used it before) on race night. Even without the anticipation, it's hard to go to sleep at 9.

4. Bring some spray on 50+ SPF sunscreen. AFTER you get body-marked, put this on every square inch of skin that might be exposed. Enough of it will stay on to save you in case you miss sunscreen later. (Good tip for me since I have been known to look like an ahi tuna after a race)

5. Try to get to transition right when it opens. An extra 15 or 20 minutes of sleep isn't worth rushing. You want plenty of time to deal with anything unexpected (flat tire on bike, long toilet lines, etc.).

6. Make as much of your pre-race breakfast as you can the night before and start eating as soon as you can when you get up. Better not to be hurried and then having to force-feed yourself or, worse yet, skipping cals. It's darn early and eating isn't what your body wants to do, so get it done early.

7. Stay relaxed and enjoy the experience. Don't let race anxiety rule you before race day. It's wasted energy. Remember how much you SACRIFICED to get there, the TOUGH part is behind you, have FUN! It’s all about the finish line, time is irrelevant!

8. THANK the volunteers at every chance you get, from registration through the finish chute.

Swim:

1. The far outside/inside sound like the best place, but they may not be, because everyone else is thinking the same thing.

2. Wear your goggles under your swim cap or double cap so they won't get kicked off. It can be hard to get them sealed like this though, so have someone check to make sure the cap isn't interfering with the seal.

3. Sight regularly. After you get out of the scrum it's tempting to put your head down and swim. Keep sighting or you'll swim extra yards.

4. You will likely be very lightheaded and loopy coming out of the swim. Be ready for it and ask volunteers to help with your wetsuit if you are wearing one. Don't get into a wresting match with it. (IM TX is probably speedsuit not wetsuit so practice getting out of it!)

Bike:

1. Don't forget sunscreen in T1. Trust me. Again the tuna thing!

2. Be steady with your cals. Just do water for the first 30-60 minutes out. A good nutritional system on the bike is using the “super fuel” system.  Take one or two water bottles and super concentrate it with salt tablets and mix so when getting a “hand up” the only thing needed is water.  Poor the water into the front aero bottle and mix in a small ratio of “super fuel” to make a drink until the next “hand up”.  This is handy in that if you get caught in between aide stations in a dehydrated state you have a highly concentrated mix that can help you out fast if you need it.  This also keeps you away from having to drink something provided by the race that you are unfamiliar with and may upset your stomach.

Have a Plan. It’s not like you just wake up one morning and decide you want to do a triathlon. Or maybe you did and then realized you have no idea how to get ready for one! There are lots of on-line plans and relatively inexpensive coaching available. Having a plan is like having a recipe for success. Make a plan and stick to it!

Be Consistent. If you have ever jumped into a race very undertrained, the experience is not pleasant. You want your first triathlon to be an uplifting experience, not a painful blur. Stick to your training plan and be consistent with your workouts. After the first three weeks it gets a lot easier!

Review the Course. Knowing the course is very helpful in getting through rough spots in the race. You can anticipate the harder spots and know that the finish in near. Also, occasionally the course is not well marked and you can go awry. Knowing the course ahead of time is always a bonus if the going gets rough.

Watch Your Nutrition. Training for your first race is not the time to try a new diet or new foods. Consistent and normal good eating habits will ensure a stable stomach during the race. You don’t want to spend half the day in the porta-potty!

Sleep is Important. Training is taxing on the body and the mind. Getting plenty of rest will help your body recharge and be ready for the race. The sleep you get two nights before is more important than the night before, so if you have pre-race jitters and don’t sleep well….no fear if you have adequate rest in the weeks before.

Pack the Night Before. And use a List! I always set out my transition and all my gear the night before. The morning of the race is always full of chaos and usually starts a 5am, so packing your bag the night before using a checklist will ensure you have necessary tools like goggles and sunglasses!

Visualize Success. Get a mental image of yourself not only crossing the finish line, but being happy with your finish. Your body tends to follow your mind.

Pace Yourself. Many newbies go out way too fast on the swim or start to hammer the bike, only to find themselves walking the run. Pace yourself. The first one is about finishing standing up!

Don’t Freak Out! Janet can tell stories about panicking on the swim. I can tell stories about crashing on the bike. Neither one of us has ever had a flat tire in a race, but we’ve seen enough of them! Relax. Things happen. Your goggles can fall off, you can crash your bike, and you can forget to put sock on with your running shoes.

Relax and Execute Your Race. We have all had stuff happen that didn’t fall into our “perfect race” plan. Go to plan “B”!

Have Fun. Don’t be so serious about the challenge that you don’t enjoy the day. I remember finishing my first sprint triathlon after years of marathon running and feeling. “Wow! That was fun!” Let’s face it, most of us won’t win our first time out, so our reward is the sense of accomplishment (and the beer at the finish!)

Hopefully these tips will help any newbies and all the staff in my office who are training for their first tri! You will get addicted! Triathlon gets in your blood and you will be hooked!

1. Know your goals: You need to start with the end in mind. What are your goals? Lose weight? Get faster? Get fitter? Get stronger? Body sculpting? Finish your first marathon? Finish your first Ironman? Whatever they are, start with small focused goals and build to larger ones.
2. Start Simple: Begin with a basic program. Make it a habit, and then you can build from it. Maybe you run for 30 minutes every morning at 5:30 am. Maybe you add a strength work out twice a week. Maybe it is as simple as adding a tempo run once a week. By starting simple, after 21 days you have now made a new habit to build on.
3. Write it Down: A goal not written down is a mere wish. Also, logging your workouts make them more real. It also makes any blank spots much more glaring! There are lots of logs or even phone apps to log your workouts and your nutrition. Use one! Include your goals at the top of each page of your log. I also find it helpful to leave myself sticky notes around the house. When you find a note that says “20 weeks to Ironman” on your bathroom mirror when you get up in the morning that is powerful motivation!
4. Enable Yourself: Make sure your equipment is working well. Time to get that new pair of running shoes. Time to tune up the treadmill and work on your bike. Buy yourself a new toy like a chin up bar or power meter for your bike. New toys make fitness goals even more fun!
5. Make it Fun: Find some workout peeps. Make sure you are having fun even when your muscles are screaming at you to stop. I find a weekly group run or ride, coupled with a weekly mostly social weight workout at the gym, makes the many solitary miles on my bike, treadmill or road a lot more tolerable.
6. Confuse your body: Mix up your workouts. Your body gets stronger and faster with small incremental increases in stress. This means changing speeds, changing routines and scenery to confuse you muscles to get stronger. Throw in a crazy yoga workout, a new routine or just a bunch of hills when you usually avid them. Change your energy levels for better success.
7. Be Committed and Consistent: Every year I see a whole gaggle of new people at the gym in the first week of January, and then they are gone by Valentine’s Day. Fitness goal cannot be reached in a month or two. You have to commit to your goals and work towards them. It may take a year to reach your goals. I started working towards my first Ironman two years ago. Now I am less than 5 months away. Rome was not built in a day. When you feel like quitting, pull out your goals and read them again. Start a mantra, “Pain is temporary and quitting is forever” is the one I use with my middle school cross country running daughter. I personally like, “It’s all about the finish line”. Find one that works for you. It really is true that the hardest part of a marathon is the first three steps out of bed in the morning! You will find that once you get up, the rest is easy.

If you follow these few tips, I promise you will reach your fitness goals in 2011! You will thank me! And I will live though Ironman Texas this year! Run happy and towards your goals!

Let’s face it. The alarm goes off at 5:30am and there are many days I don’t want to get up and run or bike. My bed is warm and the air is cold. My pillows are so comfortable and missing one work out won’t matter that much. I’m in great shape! STOP! The negative self talk is waxing away at your motivation and suddenly those fitness goals are sliding away.

It’s not hard to stay motivated during the season. There is always a 5K or sprint triathlon every weekend and they fill your calendar. Your “A” and “B” big races are in red on the schedule and that motivates you to get out of bed and even do two-a-days. But now it’s off season for triathlon, and even the fall marathon season is slipping away. The days are getting shorter and colder; and in some areas the snow has begun to fall. Even in North Texas, the mornings are dark and the winter running gear is coming out of the moth balls. Motivation is hard to come by. I’m tired and cold and my morning run has lost its appeal.

What’s an athlete to do? Well, the winter off-season is a great time to mix it up a little. Training has to change from time to time to be effective. We all get stuck in ruts, so the off-season is a great time to try out some new tools. This is the time to build some strength, allow other muscle groups to become more balances and especially allow for recovery from a hard season. It’s the time to build on the hard work of the season and prepare for even greater success in the future! Motivated yet? Me neither, but I find two great tools do help me shake the winter doldrums and get motivated to work towards the next season: goal setting and visualization.

Everyone yawns now; it’s the goal setting lecture…..Wake up! Most of us have goals in our head, but very few have written concise, realistic, timely goals for the next year. A goal not written down is a mere wish! Teaching yourself to write realistic, yet challenging personal performance-oriented goals will allow you to do the work necessary to achieve those goals, allow you to see improved performance, lead to increased confidence, and ultimately lead to greater success as an athlete.

Goal Setting 101

1. Define what you want to accomplish in 2011. It is important to begin with the end in mind. My goal for 2011 is the finish the Texas Ironman and not perish. Good goal! Time goals or a new distance should be realistic. I once had a patient that told me her goal was to finish a marathon a month in the next year. I asked how many marathons she did last year. None. Not a realistic goal!

2. Know where you are right now. How strong are you? Do you have any nagging injuries?

3. Be honest about what you need to develop. I need to get stringer on the bike. What are your weaknesses? Be objective and painfully honest with yourself. Put your ego aside. This is an important step.

4. Set sub goals and segment them. Perhaps you have a time goal, but you also probably have a weight goal, a nutrition goal and a mental goal.

5. Write performance goal for all the sub categories. Be specific and measurable. Don’t say, “I’m going to stop drinking so much beer,” a better goal is to say, “I’m only going to have one beer a night and only on days that start with S.”

6. Commit yourself completely. A goal should be something that leaves you with a burning desire to reach it! I post my goals on a sticky note on my bathroom mirror so I look at it daily. This motivates me. Have a goal card in your pocket and look at it. Keep a training log and make interim goals. This helps you stay focused.

7. Monitor your progress. Listen to your body and do not become obsessed with your goals. Your body will tell you if you need more rest! Injuries happen when we push ourselves too hard. This does not help us meet our goals.

8. Visualize yourself meeting your ultimate goal. I have watched myself cross the finish line of a full Ironman many times in my head. Close your eyes and visualize the starting line and you are feeling great and in the best shape of your life. Go through the race in your head, feeling confident and relaxed. Watch yourself finish strong and feel the rush of achieving you goal. Practice this weekly and your brain will be mentally prepared for success.

Motivation and drive come from constant focus on the destination and then seeing you move through the process to get there. Having a purpose is important or it is really hard to consistently train during the off season. Take some time and work on your goals. Visualize success, and then get out of bed!

Run Happy! And all winter long.......

1. Run your local Turkey Trot road race. This is a great annual tradition in many families. Think about it, no matter how fast or slow you run, after completing a 5K or 10K Thanksgiving morning, you can basically eat almost anything you want! If you can’t run, then at least take a brisk walk that morning. This will start the holiday off on the right foot and get you in a good mood to survive your friends and family!
2. Drink lots of water instead of wine or beer. Water helps fill you up so you won’t feel so hungry when that late dinner finally is ready. Have only one or two glasses of wine spaced throughout the day. This will keep the calorie count down and keep you out of trouble.
3. Be light on the gravy. Have you ever looked at how many calories are in that turkey gravy? A little gravy goes a long way!
4. Eat the white meat turkey and forgo the heavy dark meat. Even though it’s my favorite part, it is packed with calories.
5. Chew slowly and talk constantly! (I never have any problem with this!) Have fun with your family and keep up a brisk conversation. Chew slowly and keep talking, you will eat less and get to know them better!
6. Just say no to the multitude of desserts! It’s OK to have just a bite of this or a bite of that. It will not offend anyone if you don’t eat an entire piece of each of five kinds of pie!
7. Cheer for the Cowboys! This may not help you keep the calorie count down, but I’m from the Dallas area, so it’s a necessary part of the holiday! If you actually watch the game, you will spend so much energy cheering “the ‘Boys” that you won’t eat as much!
8. Spend your holiday giving back. Volunteer at a homeless shelter or soup kitchen. Deliver meals to the elderly. You will be blessed ten-fold and definitely will not over eat when you realize how many people go without every day!

1. Fuel right before runs - have a low fat meal or snack containing low glycemic index carbohydrates 1-3 hours before your run. I personally like oatmeal mixed with Cheerios before my morning run.
2. Core strengthening – Pilates, yoga or simply core strengthening weight workouts. Personalized programs help to strengthen core and major muscle groups important to running, as well as lengthen out tight areas. A more fluid moving, stronger, less injury prone body is the result.
3. Cross-train - even the worlds’ fastest female marathoner-Paula Radcliffe-does some of her sessions on a Nordic track (a machine which mimics cross-country skiing). Water running and cycling are also useful to maintain cardiovascular fitness without the constant impact and injury risk. I finally bought a bike a month ago and I love it!
4. Refine your running technique – Your podiatrist or physical therapist can help you with gait analysis. Improving technique can not only make you a better runner, but you may feel less soreness and reduced injuries.
5. Aim to be a healthy weight - a BMI (body mass index) of 20-25 gives us a rough indicator. Running becomes more difficult when we gain weight, conversely, becoming underweight may negatively affect performance and health. I can admit that I actually have gained weight and became faster!
6. Increase milage gradually - the general rule is no more than a 10% increase in mileage each week. This decreases the injury risk, and gives the body time to adapt to increased stress and improve.
7. Wear appropriate shoes - that are comfortable and functional for your foot type; and above all learn to recognize when they are past their use-by-date to help avoid injury.  Five hundred miles or 6 months are the expiration dates on running shoes!
8. Start runs hydrated - and carry sports drink or gels on runs that are longer than 60-90 mins. Losing even 2% of our body weight through sweat can affect performance. Providing carbohydrate and electrolytes during longer races, will also be a huge benefit to your final time. Weigh yourself before and after a run. Make sure you replace your fluids!
9. Run with a group - if you find it difficult to stay motivated, running with a group, or a running peep can give you a time and place to be consistent with your running.
10. Get in the zone - Load your mp3 with music that uplifts you. Buy run gear you feel great and comfortable in, or map out new run routes to stay inspired. Mix it up!
11. Find a great massage therapist - regular massage improves mobility and flexibility of the muscles, increases blood flow, and relaxes the muscle. All this means recovery from a hard session or race (normally 48-72 hrs) can be reduced by up to 50%! A good massage therapist can also pinpoint problem tight areas before they become injuries. I love mine although I scream when she hits my sore spots!
12. Learn to run faster - do 1-2 runs every week that challenge your pace. This may be an anaerobic threshold run where you hold a faster pace for eg 20mins during your normal run. Other options are hill fartlek sessions-where you run an undulating loop, pushing hard on the uphills-or interval sessions – where a shorter distance is run hard, with a few minutes of jogging between eg 5-6 x 1km or 6-8 x 800m.
13. Find a mentor or supporter - this may be someone you admire as a runner, or who makes you feel enthusiastic about your running goals. It may be your coach, partner, or another runner who you catch up with regularly to talk life and running.
14. Set goals with training and racing and follow a program. Like anything in life, we are more likely to be successful with a clear vision and tactics.
15. Eat right after runs - consume a meal or snack containing 1-2g carbohydrate/kg of body weight and some protein immediately after runs longer than an hour. I personally drink an Ensure or protein shake as soon as I stop sweating! Glycogen (the muscles main energy source for running) is replaced much faster in this period immediately post training.
16. Utilize and learn to love ice-baths - or cool water soaks, especially after long or hard runs. The effect on recovery is amazing.
17. Race - there’s nothing like a race situation to push you to the next level, while also giving you a sense of accomplishment. It’s amazing how the legs find a new gear to train at as well!
18. Learn to train easy - we are not invincible, and do not become great by running hard every day. In fact injury and chronic fatigue is the more likely outcome! Recovery runs or easy days are crucial to gain the benefits from our harder runs. Do a daily check…are you fatigued when you wake up? That’s a day to pull out your bike or run easier.
19. Enlist specialists - get professional advice when needed from qualified and respected Sports Podiatrists, Nutritionists, Physical Therapists, Sports Physicians, Chiropractors, Exercise Physiologists, Coaches, and even Sports Psychologists!

1. “I don’t have time”: I have a full-time medical practice, three young children, and a thriving writing/speaking side venture; but I still find time to run at least 30 miles a week and go to the gym for a weight workout twice a week. If I can find the time, so can most people. It’s a matter of priorities and wasted time.
2. “I’m too tired to exercise”: Don’t even try this excuse on me. I pack more in a day than almost anyone else I know, but I don’t know who won “American Idol” or who is on “The Apprentice.” I use my time wisely and go to bed early without the time vampire of the television sucking the life out of me. The hardest part of any workout is the first 3 steps out of bed or out the door. You are tired because you don’t exercise and you use useful energy on nonsense.
3. “I can’t find an exercise program I enjoy”: Let’s dispel this other very common excuse. So what! Believe me, there are many mornings I don’t enjoy running at all. That’s why the IPod was invented. Miraculously, you can convince your body you are reading a book, newspaper, or listening to the radio or your favorite music. On the days when the last thing you want to do is exercise, find a distraction. A great one is to go the gym and people watch. The diversity of people will crack you up! No one said exercise is supposed to be enjoyable, but after a few weeks of regular cardiovascular challenge, it does become more fun. Vary your programs, get a trainer, or try a group fitness class and be social. Do something…anything! Being out of shape, sweating your butt off, looking like you are about to croak any minute isn’t fun for anyone; but that will only improve with consistency! Not excuses!
4. “My arthritis/injury/something hurts when I exercise”: If you are over the age of 35 and are like most Americans - Fat, you have been putting abnormal stress on many body parts for a long time; pain is going to happen when you start an exercise program. There is a difference between good pain and bad pain. If you truly have arthritis, your only hope of continuing to move is to exercise. Joints that are damaged and are not regularly exercised will stiffen and eventually become virtually unusable. Work through your discomfort and the other side is much more enjoyable. Follow some simple tips to get through your pain and start on the road to cardiovascular fitness.

1. Start slowly. The biggest mistake most people make is too much, too soon, and too fast. The next day you often can’t move at all and it will be even harder to convince yourself to move at all.
2. Do not bite off more than you can chew. Little bits count! Gradually increase your time and separate segments with recovery walking or stretching. Try 15 minutes total the first day, broken into 5 minute segments separated by a one minute rest. Add no more than one more segment each day. For runners, we use the golden rule of not adding more than 10% more mileage every week. Your goal should be 45 minutes of cardiovascular exercise at least 5 days a week. Rome was not built in a day. Gradually work up to this goal.
3. Go at your own speed. Just because your friend can run an 8 minute mile doesn’t mean that is even realistic for you. I try to preach perceived exertion. That means getting your heart rate up to where you break a sweat, but still can carry on a conversation. This litmus test will not allow you to over do it when your competitive drive kicks in.
4. Warm up! Take a few minutes to warm up prior to exercising and warm down afterwards. Warm muscles don’t hurt as much as cold ones and are less likely to get injured. Wear extra clothing to keep your muscles warm if the environment is too cool. I tell all my runners to walk for at least 5 minutes, then stretch, then start running.
5. Vary your program. We all get bored and your muscles and joints will thank you for varying your routine. The older I get, the more I have to work on core strengthening and resistance training to keep my body in shape. Running alone just doesn’t do it. Once a week, try something you never have done before. Take a group fitness class, do yoga, try a spin class, try a new route for your walk. Variety really is the spice of life!
6. Listen to your body. There will be days that your body says “easy does it.” Listen to it. A great way to keep in tune is to wear a heart rate monitor. These help you stay in your zones and not over do it. You will be amazed how some days you can go forever and some days you have 15 good minutes and then you are done. It is more important to walk around the block every day than to try to climb Mount Everest all in one day!
7. Get rid of your negative self-talk. We are our own worst enemies. I have been at 18 miles in a marathon and that little voice in my head is saying “why are we doing this? What made you think you could run 26.2 miles at this pace at your age?” Block it out. Have a mantra like “I have put lots mileage in the bank and I’m just withdrawing it today” or “I can do anything through Christ who strengthens me” or one of my favorites “I can puke when I’m done.” Sing a song, talk to a friend, or just keep telling yourself positive thoughts. The negative ones will only hold you back and make you miserable.
8. Use your imagination. Picture your ideal self, at your ideal weight, in that dress that has not fit in years. Then picture how you are going to get there!
9. Set yourself up for success! What do I mean by this? Go buy the proper equipment, get new shoes, a snazzy new work out outfit and make a plan. Hire a trainer if you don’t have any idea what you are doing. The money is well spent if you have a good trainer to point you in the right direction. Make a schedule and force yourself to stick to it. Exercise is not some thing you just get around to. My program is scheduled and can’t be missed unless the excuse is good enough to miss an important meeting or a dentist appointment (building is on fire, child throwing up, car accident, etc.). Consistency is the key. Make it a habit, especially on the days you don’t feel like it!
10. Talk to your doctor. Get a physical and talk to your doctor about what restrictions they feel should be put on your program. Ask for their help. Most doctors are thrilled that their patients are attempting to exercise and are very willing to help! I make sure my patients are in the right shoes, have realistic plans, and don’t need some biomechanical help or physical therapy to help them get started.