The Grind

Hi. It's Laura.

Here we are, the last day of February (happy Leap Day!). That makes two months into the New Year with resolutions abandoned, for some long ago. Today is also Wednesday, the hump day, the “if I can get through today, the weekend is almost here” day.

I call the juxtaposition of no longer new but still not near the goal, the "Grind". The New Year has passed and the excitement of making a change dissipated. It is also midweek. The anticipation of a good week has either come to fruition or is no longer possible. You are just dreading going to work today either way. It is still February, one more month of winter. There are three more days to the weekend and 1 more month until spring. How do you get through?

Let's start with knowing yourself.  Are you a planner? Do you prefer the company of others? In order to keep your workouts going and make them a little different from the normal “get up, go to the gym, go to work, blah blah blah”.

Prefer the company of others? Call a friend and schedule a play date! (For you, not the kids or the dog.) You don't have to go to a spin or Zumba class, go for a walk/run in the park.

Making a commitment to show up for someone else will not only get you there but will change the entire routine of your week. Hopefully it will make it more fun (try to not buy movie tickets for your play date).

Have you set a goal yet? We talked about it in the beginning of the year. Find something that you are interested in and enter an event.  (I have two goals: the TD Five boro bike tour in May and the NYC Tri, but you may have already known that.) Knowing that you have a competition coming up can certainly keep you motivated and bring out your competitive spirit, even on the coldest of mornings (oh wait, it is not really cold these days is it?).

A great way to break out of the “same old same old” is to try something new! Local health clubs offer all kinds of classes. I know mine offers free classes to non-members (of course they are at odd times but you get the idea).  How a about a kettle-bell class, Zumba and/or a karate class?  Do something that you have never done but you are interested in trying (and bring a friend! double bonus). 

Not only will this change up your routine it will make it fun and perhaps renew your interest.  It can be as simple as taking your run outside instead of running on the treadmill again.

This weekend, after 18 years of skiing, I am going to take a snowboarding lesson and I am super excited about it! It is something I have always wanted to try and it is keeping me going through the week. [Editor’s note: And she hates snowboarders. Oh yeah, so do I and I am taking the lesson with her]

Think about your daily routine and figure out where you can build in something new and different to reenergize yourself before those warmer months arrive (that everyone looks forward to but dreads due to bikini season). Yeah, those months are coming!

Play hard & stay motivated!

Laura

Fuel

Hi. It's Laura.

Yesterday I mentioned why I felt so awful on Tuesday. As of my blog on Wednesday last week, I claimed I didn't know why. But with further thought, it was not just the alcohol from the weekend or the lack of sleep. I have done that before and did not feel as malazy (Yup, just made up a word). I narrowed it down to nutrition or lack of it.

Let's start with some basics.  I normally assume that everybody knows what I know. So now, I am going to assume that you don't and if you do, consider it a refresher.

All nutrients are important: carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, minerals and water.

No one is more important than another and it is important to find a nutritional balance. That starts with knowing more about each one.

Carbohydrates: Carbs are NOT evil. They are essential.  Some are "complex" which are high in fiber and aid in digestion. These stabilize your blood sugar, keep your energy even and make you fill fuller longer. You can consider carbs kindling for your fat. Fat needs carbohydrates to burn. The body ideally stores carbs as glycogen which can be converted into glucose and used for energy by the body. A carbohydrate has 4 calories per gram.  Examples of good carbs: fruits & vegetables, whole grain pastas and bread. Also good are starches such as rice and potatoes.  People should consume 55-65% of total calories from carbs.

Proteins:  Protein is NOT God. Proteins are complex compounds which are made of amino acids. The quality of protein is determined by the presence or absence of essential amino acids.  Protein is needed to build and maintain muscle tissue.

Proteins have 4 calories per gram. It is suggested that non athlete adults consume 0.8grams of protein of body weight. Chicken, turkey, cheese, soy are good examples of protein.

Fats: Fats are your friend.  Although it is suggested that NO MORE than 35% of your daily calories come from fat, you will do better with an intake of 25% or less but must have some.  Fat protects the body from concussive forces and helps keep you full. In addition, you need the fat to help digest certain vitamins. Fat has 9 calories per gram. Try to stay away from saturated fats and lean toward the unsaturated kind (in the link for fat on Wikipedia there is a great chart for identify fats).

Water:  Water IS GOD. Your muscles that move your body are 75% water; your blood that transport nutrients is 82% water; your lungs that provide your oxygen are 90% water; your brain that is the control center of your body is 76% water; even your bones are 25% water (because he said it better). Water is involved in every body function and is essential to our existence and the most important nutrient you can consume.

Current suggested intake is eight eight ounce glasses/day. If you are exercising, you should increase your intake but be aware of too much water intake and washing away important salts and electrolytes. If you are exercising for more than an hour you may want to look into a sports drink (a whole other blog). One test to identify if you are taking in enough water during exercise is weighing yourself.  You should weigh as much before as you do after your workout. 

Vitamins:  Vitamins are confusing.  As I said yesterday, I am not a nutritionist and can only point you in the direction your doctor for supplements if you think you need them.  The best strategy is eat a wide variety of food and include fresh fruits and vegetables. Please note: wine ( red or white) and M&M’s are not included in ANY nutritional category.

Play hard & eat well!

Laura

Snow Emergency

Hi. It's Laura

Happy Monday! I do hope my absence has been noticed.

Last week started poorly (and by poorly I mean FUN but not healthy). 

Start with a dinner party where we stayed up way too late. Stir in imbibing in too much wine, sprinkle in overindulging in ice cream sandwiches (although they were spectacular, thank you Alain Ducasse). Add The Rangers game the day after and then shake.

Out comes “owie ow” not to mention, an overall feeling over malaise brought about by all the fun.  Good grief, no wonder I called in last Tuesday and struggled all week with trying to get through my workouts.  I thought about it and realized it was most likely the poor nutrition making me feel sluggish.

I certainly was not feeding myself properly for several days. You don't realize what affect it can have on the body. Now I am not a dietician but certainly do have a clue on how to fuel myself properly to get the desired performance. Last week was not the proper way.

Caving in to some of the food cravings can certainly take you down a dark a path. It can be so easy to go all the way down but I was able to hold myself out of the darkness. I did succumb to a bad week (I am human not a robot so a bad week happens) but it did not have to be catastrophic and it wasn't.

So the week started poorly and ended poorly.  I read on Thursday there was a winter storm warning in VT. GOTTA GO!  The husband and I packed the car and the dog and headed for the hills, literally.  We were not disappointed. In a winter that has been barren of natural snow, the resort wound up with 10inches of fresh powder and Sunday was all day sunshine. SPECTACULAR!

Perhaps that is exactly what we needed: a break from the ordinary, a little spontaneity and little fresh powder to recharge the batteries.

Monday morning started beautifully: a 600 yard swim and 4.5 mile run (at an unprecedented pace for me). Now I am not a fast runner (don't claim to be), but this morning, for me, I was flying around the park and felt wonderful. 

Now I am looking forward to a great week as I am off to great start. I think I am all caught up now and will deal more with nutrition later this week.

Play hard!

Laura

You will like this one!

It's Laura.

I know more than one of you will like the article I found in the Times on Wednesday.

Dessert at Breakfast May Help Dieters

Play Hard!
Laura

Who is that Woman?

Hi. It's Laura.

Q: What's harder than a Monday? A: Tuesday when Monday is a holiday. 

This morning at 5:30 I was trying to convince myself that I was sick. I really, really did not want to go to the pool (especially after not getting there before 6:00am. Laura self-imposed rule #1). I contemplated moving my run to the afternoon because I just did not feel like going after being off for three days. (I called in sick yesterday. Who calls in sick to herself?).

I took an extra day for the weekend because I just could not find the energy to even walk across the room let alone run 4.5 miles. So I did what you do on a sick day, I watched cheesy movies and drank tea (and there was a blanky involved).

After hemming and hawing, the temp on the TV was 45degree. This is important for dressing purposes. For running add 20 degree to equal the layering you would wear out walking. So what should I wear for 65 degrees?  Normally I would have figured this out the night before, but since I was supposed to swim this morning and not run, I was confused.  I said to The Husband, “What did you wear?”  He explains (Editor’s Note: I was a little obtuse this morning. Blame the dog and the 4am wakeup call), I dress. Again to The Husband, (as I reappear in the kitchen) “Is this good enough?” The Husband replies, “Oh sure that will be fine!”

Yeah. So I froze all the way to the park cursing The Husband the entire way. Upon crossing Columbus avenue toward Central Park , the wind, (oh The Husband, you forgot to mention the wind [Editor’s Note: What Wind?]).  So, I plot my revenge for the rest of the walk to the park. I was also trying to figure out my route because I am tired and don't feel like working all that hard today. I got a signal on my GPS, hit start and off I went, like a robot.  I forgot to finish my plan of my route and my body just took me the regular way.  4.5 miles later, I land home feeling much better but not less tired.

I believe in planned breaks from exercise and linear periodization allows for those breaks. When you build in the break, you are ready to come back and when you do, you are stronger for it.  Illness, although unplanned, is another period where you should stay home and rest (you already wore yourself out, why add insult to injury).

I have read that if you really, really want to exercise while you have a cold (as long as it is only a head cold), you should be fine. But once it gets in to your chest, stay home.  Usually, as we recover from illness, we WANT to get back to our exercise routine. It makes us feel better, feel normal. Be smart.

At the start of this week, I did not want to come back. I wanted to stay home and stay in bed and it made no sense to me.  I love the routine of working out in the morning and I love the way I feel and the progress that I have made in my fitness. So why the lazy streak? Honestly, I just don't know.

I am already motivated so that’s not the problem.

I am not injured, so that’s not it.

I am not sick, not that either.

I tried to find an article or a website that would help me figure it out and name what happened but to my chagrin, I found nothing as of yet. 

I am happy to say that I did go out this morning as you already have read. So let's hope Lazy Laura does not rear her apathetic arse again anytime soon.

Play hard!

Laura

Exercise Induced

Hi. It's Laura

Happy Friday!

Even though it’s a mild winter, my nose always seems run while I run. As matter of fact, my nose runs during ALL exercises. It drives me crazy.  I used to carry along tissues while I ran but gave it up mostly out of shear laziness. My sleeve works just as well.  I would like to point out it is not just the winter that brings on the runny nose. It is all year round.  I watch other runners in the park and I don't see anyone else having the same sinus issues that I am having but there has got to be others. They just might be more stealth than I am about blowing their nose on their sleeve. (EWWWW)

In addition to runny noses here are some other strange things the body does while exercising:

Yawning:   I have read that yawning is triggered by improper breathing when the yawning occurs at the end of an exercise. Allot athletes yawn prior to exercise, which could be the body's way of transitioning from sedentary to exercise. It can also be triggered by excitement or anticipation of an upcoming event, such as right before a race.

Flatulence:  I noticed a lot of this going on during martial classes, most typically grappling, which makes sense if you understand grappling. But there is such a thing as exercised induced flatulence.  Exercise produces excess gas mostly brought on by swallowing air during aerobic exercises.  Once you start working on your core and create pressure around your abdomen, presto! 

Muscle Cramps:  The Husband suffers from these all the time but his are not exercise induced at least not directly.  Muscles cramps, caused by exercise, are mostly brought on my dehydration. Make sure to drink plenty of fluids.

and lastly,

Heartburn:  Heart burn brought on by exercise is usually due to vigorous activity that moves the content of your stomach into your esophagus.  If this is what troubles you during exercise you may want to focus on more low impact exercises.

If you have been suffering from any of the above symptoms know they are completely normal and maybe a little embarrassing. There is nothing better than walking down the street with snot on your face.

If something changes or gets worse, check with your doctor.

Enjoy the long weekend!

Play hard!

Laura

A Follow Up

Hi! It's Laura.

Just a little reading material to follow up on yesterday's blog.

10 Surprising Facts about Calories

Play hard!
Laura

Denial

I hear it all the time and I have said it myself, I am stuck why can't I lose weight.

Let's start with the most obvious: denial. 

I swore up and down that I was doing everything right, small healthy meals, 60 minutes of exercise every day. Somehow not only was I not losing, I was gaining!  I gave myself a little slack because of my injury and I was not able to everything exercise wise that I wanted.  When I finally had to buy new fat jeans because my old fat jeans would not fit, I knew it was time to have an honest conversation with myself. 

I started writing down everything I ate (I didn’t really write it down because there is an app for that). My tracking made me realize that I had developed a wicked Starbucks habit. Now mind you I was not drinking venti double mocha with whip or some other giant concoction. But I was drinking grande gingerbreads and grande skinny vanilla lattes telling myself “it was only once a week so it was ok”. In my tracking I discovered my once a week treat was an everyday habit and some days, twice a day.  130 calories x2 per day x5 days week= 1300 extra calories per week.  I am 5'3”. I need 1500 calories a day to maintain where I am, so I don't need 1300 extra calories.  Now Starbucks exists no more in my world.

I continued to tracking and discovered that alcohol was also a big part of my world.  Again, thinking to myself, I only have a glass of wine a night.  Who really has one glass?  It is really two glasses Monday through Thursday unless there are, of course, plans with friends (restaurant food is coming later).

Then there is the weekend where there is more than just two (more like three or four).  125 calories x2 glasses per day x 5 days= 1250 calories.  The other thing about alcohol is that there is ZERO nutritional value in it. Your body processes the sugar in the alcohol and stores it as fat (if you're lucky it is in your belly).

Now that alcohol has been added, good judgment goes out the window.  Oh sure you can order all the steamed, broiled and sautéed dishes you want from any restaurant and it is still not going to be good for you if you are ordering out.  I say this without any facts to back me up but I swear SWEAR that no matter what you order, it is never exactly what you want because the restaurant does not care what your waistline looks like. 

We kid ourselves into thinking it is healthy because it is steamed. Steamed anything, first of all, does not taste great (unless its Chinese dumplings and maybe broccoli but I don’t like broccoli). However, there is nothing better than you cooking for yourself (without butter!).

I am not saying that you can't eat a healthy meal at a restaurant, you can. But if you are trying to lose weight, stay home for a while.

Still tracking, Now exercise.

Was I really doing everything I could during a workout to get the desired results? When I tracked it, the answer was no.  In order to achieve any weight loss effort during exercise you need to burn between 300 - 500 calories per session. I was running on the treadmill but somehow only burning 190-250 during my  hour workout.  NOT GOING TO CUT IT.  250 calories x 3 day week= 750 calories burned. 

At this point, I was already up 2550 calories for the week. You need to burn 3500 calories to lose 1LB.

Something needed to change and something did, me, with most of it documented here in this blog.

Before I started tracking, I was desperate to lose weight and looked at everything I could Google: a magic pill, celebrity diet, new trendy exercise, even a juice cleanse. There had to be something magical out there!  After taking a long hard look at my own behavior (which truth be told was not horrible. No dark secret, bad M&M relationship or snickers habit) I knew it was time.

I am not saying that you have a Starbucks or M&M habit but you need to track your own days and find out what is really going on.

There are a few things you need to consider if you are eating right and exercising and still not losing weight.

If you are under a lot of stress, your cortisol level maybe high. If you can gained weight quickly, you may want to have your thyroid checked.  If you have not done so in a while, it can't hurt to get a physical from your doctor to make sure everything is in proper working order.

Play hard & be honest!

Laura

The Bicycle

Hi!

It's Laura.

Very exciting news today! We won the lottery! Ok, not that exciting. Both The Husband and I were picked in the lottery for the Five Boro Bike Tour.

We received our email notifications yesterday. If you are unfamiliar with the tour, it is a forty mile jaunt around the five boros of New York City ending in Staten Island (yes, Staten Island is still one of our boros) on the first Sunday in May.  I know, I know, “What, the triathlon isn't enough?” I look at this way; it breaks up the training so I can focus on one aspect at a time. Besides this isn’t a race, it’s a tour so we can take our time and enjoy the day (pray for sun).

I know I don't talk about cycling very much. I reference it but it is not a big focus of my training mostly because not much happens on an indoor bike. Alright, there is spin class and the drama that goes on in there. Now I have changed up my training and use a stationary Livestrong bike (mostly because of the drama that goes on in spin class).  I do enjoy spin but, in addition to the drama, there is the schedule. Right now my gym does not offer a class that fits into my scheduling needs.

I walked away and thought about cycling while writing today’s blog and realized that I cannot remember the last time I did not own a bike. I remember my first:  a big brown 3 speed bike that my mom got me at Two Guys . I remember her telling me that it was too big for me but she got it for me anyway. What I also remember is it being a surprise (birthday maybe?). When she reads this, she totally will tell me I that I remembered it wrong.

I grew up down at the Jersey Shore (not the nonsense you see on TV but a sleepy little town that did not have full time residents until the 70's). I can remember riding along the ocean (but not on the board walk).

As a teenager (before the driver’s license), I used my bike as transportation to and from friends’ homes. When I moved to Manhattan , I rode all around the city exploring neighborhoods, When I moved to Brooklyn, I rode to Coney Island. When I moved to Manhattan, I bought a bike that cost me $500.

$500 is not a cheap bike but was definitely not the most expensive. I had done my research and found it was the perfect one. It was a red Schwinn hybrid.  I was so proud and road it EVERYWHERE. I thought I was the coolest and terrorized pedestrians on the West side promenade (I know you can't picture that).

One afternoon I was on a bicycle date and we stopped into Paragon Sports to buy me a new lock which turned out to be a Kryptonite. I had one but it was flimsy. When we exited the store, the bike was gone (along with my camera and apartment keys in the storage bag). My heart was broken. The date walked me across town to Metro and I bought the Raleigh bike that I have today.  It has been tried and true but it could never really replace the Schwinn. 

With the Five Boro and the triathlon approaching, I will be replacing the Raleigh  with a triathlon bike and hope to find a good home for it (hopefully under the husband's butt).

Bikes come in all shapes and sizes and have a lot less impact on your back and your knees than running or walking.  You may want to consider it for the warmer months. You can do it alone or with friends and you can enter a tour or a race or just cycle along the beach or promenade in your neighborhood.

Cycling has been a big part of my life as you can see. You do not need an expensive bike to get started. Make it a part of your life.

Play hard & keep pedaling!

Laura

Misnomer

Hi!

It's Laura.

Happy Monday!

Monday's are hard. I don't care what industry you are in starting the week off is just difficult after spending two days off.  When your morning starts off at 5:00 (4:57 ugh! this morning, thank you bladder) and its below 30 degrees, it can be even more daunting to get the week started.  I am proud of our home this morning.  Everyone got up (always a great start) and headed out the door at 5:30ish to get their workouts in.

I talk a lot about adaptation of your body so I have changed things up once again.  Monday, Wednesday and Friday are swim day. YES! There was drama in the pool this morning.  It’s every day and I swear it is worse than children at recess. I stayed out of the drama this morning and almost killed myself getting through the 600 yard swim.  Normally I head up to the treadmill but I know I am not getting the workout I need to get so I headed home and donned my outdoor running gear. 

I really thought I my hair would be dry from swimming (and two showers! ) before I headed out the door , alas, it was not.  I really, REALLY thought it was going to freeze but to my surprise, it didn't! I froze, but the hair was fine.

During my run (not solving world problems today), I realized I have completely misnamed this blog.  Although I am training for a triathlon, my training’s focus is not for it just yet.  To quote an old manager of mine I am getting ready to get ready.  LOL! So maybe the names should be “getting ready to train for a triathlon” or “pre training for triathlon” or maybe “just training”.

So I said to myself, “no, no, no” [Editor’s note: LOL], you are training for the triathlon but you just have not kicked it into high gear.  The climb to peak performance is gradual. I need to work on form and technique, not to mention my swimming endurance. That does not happen in the last sixteen weeks of training. I need to get into athletic shape in order to perform like an athlete. (I do the triathlon in my head often during my training times.)

As I am getting ready to get ready, I focus on technique in order to perform better and not injure myself.  Last Wednesday, I observed a woman running up hill. She was nearly bent in half trying to get up the hill. Owie ow, that has got to hurt not just while she is running but afterwards as well.  You want to stay upright to help improve your lung capacity and stride length.

The last thing any of us want is to hurt ourselves , age is doing a good enough job on all of us you don't need to start throwing in self-inflicted weight training or running injuries in to the mix ( I would add swimming injuries but I don't know what those are yet other than wanting to kill other swimmers). Watching people in the gym is probably not ideal when it comes to proper technique as you have seen from my photo montage. Look online as there are plenty of website that will demonstrate proper technique or tips on how to improve technique.

Or you could hire a trainer (I know one who is available) .

Play hard & run straight!

Laura

Hail Ipod

Happy Friday!

It's Laura.

Fun Fact #1: 10 is the number of repetitions people could complete while listening to their favorite music on an MP3 player. This is according to a study from the College of Charleston.

I know that I use my iPod shuffle  constantly whether in the gym, while I am out running and even cycling (but safely).  I even have an underwater MP3 device that I try and use for my swim workouts (but it’s not working as well as I would like it to work).

My shuffle is my best friend during a running work out. I often ponder how we hear music with the ear buds, since its sounds like it is in the middle of my head and not in my ears. I Googled this and my searches have not yielded much.  If you have any insight, please share. 

Choosing songs for my shuffle is very important to me (I am far less discriminating on my regular iPod). All the songs have to be upbeat and happy while having a certain beat (I cannot identify that beat as I am not trained in music lexicon but I know it when I hear it). Every once in a while I get a song that I have never heard before. Take today, this unfamiliar sound fills my head and I am like “What the#$%&!?” I own this song? This is not my genre (which by the way is indie/indie pop/alternative).

Fun fact #2: 2 is the number of times better people did on cognitive tests after exercising while listening to music compared to sweating in silence , according to an Ohio State University study. GO BUCKS (The Husbands alma mater) [Editor’s note: Michigan Sucks!]

So not only do you do better on your cognitive tests, but ear buds act as a shield from unwanted intrusions. Chatty ladies on the elliptical, the old man that just wants to talk, more chatty ladies on the running path, they pretty much keep you antisocial in the gym and highly unapproachable (more about this later) as you are tune out not it. (I will never understand the people who try talking to you when you are clearly listening to music and have ear buds in! Dude? Seriously?) The one thing the ear buds cannot keep out is smells (and yes I am talking about the trainer at the JCC who wears too much cologne).

 

Back to the iPod.  Mine makes me happy.  In the gym, I groove to my tunes. When I run and ride I sing. Singing usually makes me happy (definitely not sad, too hard to sing through tears).

Fun fact #3: the iPod was released in 2001

I think, no wait, I KNOW, I was not an early adopter of the iPod. It was a big as a brick and in 2001 pretty expensive for me at the time. The first shuffle was released in January 2005 and I wanted one desperately but could not afford it. I was running with my Sony AM/FM Walkman and decided to hold it in the palm my hand. Let me just say that running to music is SO MUCH more enjoyable than to static on the radio playing Howard Stern ( before Sirius ).

I don't think I was paying much attention to Apple's MO just yet but in September of 2006 the released the next generation of shuffle.  The Husband got me one for Christmas that year and it still cranks. I am very grateful that I have no issues with mine like The Husband has had with his. [Editor’s note: All my apple products break!]

In conclusion, the iPod makes us smarter, healthier and happier! Hail iPod. [sound of editor mumbling angrily!]

Have a great weekend!

Play hard & sing loud!

Laura

Massage envy

Hi. It's Laura.

I found this NY Times article very interesting and I am sure The Miracle Worker will probably tell me she already knew all of this.  Let's just say I am greateful for the young men that volunteered!

How Massage Heals Sore Muscles

Play hard!
Laura

Why Change is Hard

Hi. It's Laura.

I had an epiphany this morning: It's February. (Yeah yeah I know, “congrats for being able to read a calendar”.) But that is not what I am talking about. It is Wednesday, February 8 and the gym was very very quiet.  So the last stragglers, holding onto their New Year's resolutions, have pretty much given up. As I looked around this morning, it was all the regular Wednesday morning people and not one unfamiliar face.  I can say, I am happy that it is February

Do people really think they can change their behavior easily? I know from personal experience it is not as easy as saying, “I resolve to do or not to do something".  We do not change in a straight in line but go back and forth to the desired behavior (more often than not just back to the undesired behavior). 

We move through different stages of the behavior process but it all starts with the desire to change. Which is why, in my opinion, New Year's resolutions do not work.  People generally change their behavior because someone else wants them to not because they want to. This makes them doomed to fail!

We start the behavioral change process with: “I won't or I can’t.” Think of a project or service that you have pitched to someone. Most often, their first reaction is that is negative. “That is not the way we do things” or “My department isn't broken”. Once you have planted the seed people start to say "I might". They might contemplate how a change might benefit them. 

Now comes the preparation phase of “I will". We have all been down this road before which is a very fluid road.

·         A client has agreed to buy the service but has not signed the contract

·         The head of the department realizes they are broken and is taking steps , albeit  slowly to get there

·         You go to the gym twice this week but not the third day you promised yourself

Now comes the change, "I am".  The client/dept/you has committed to the new behavior and is practicing every day. The new behavior is incorporated into the new reality.

I have made this sound easy (it is on paper after all) but there has been a lot of cajoling, selling, promising, reinforcing and refining to get to this point.

Here comes the hard part: "I still am". Progress was made, goals were reached and kudos was given. Maintenance time has arrived and it has been no easy feat. We see real change when someone has adopted the new behavior for at least six months. This is when they are most vulnerable to slip back into old behaviors out of boredom overconfidence or stress. 

If you think about the stages, they apply to everyone in most situations: smoking, dieting, exercise, etc.  The not only apply to your personal life but also your professional life as well. Everyone goes through the same stages of change and knowing that is a true power.

Recognizing the stage of change you are in when you slip up will help you succeed and make the permanent change you have been looking to make.

Play hard & stay strong!
Laura

Indoors or Outdoors?

Hi It's Laura.

Normally I do not wait for the warmer weather to begin my runs outside.  I run outside all year round (July & August,? not my favorites) and very much enjoy the dark and the cold of 5:30 a.m. in Central Park.

At that time of day, it’s quiet, no pedestrians, no tourists and/or no cars. Only the “die-hards” standing up to the normal twenty-ish degree weather.

So the crowd is thin and I know every one of those faces as I have looked at them for years. (NOTE: I did not run outdoors last year or even run indoors due to knee surgery.)

In order for me to be able to run on the tread mill I need to be highly entertained. I am usually watching television and listening to music all while watching everyone in the gym.

I find the treadmill extremely boring and far less challenging than any outdoor run.  It is my belief that you work harder outside than in. Outside you need to actually propel yourself forward during the run. You must pull yourself up hills and control your speed on the downhill , all the while burning calories.  The treadmill does this all for you (I know you can adjust the incline) so I do not believe it is the same.

I feel the same about cycling. I will save my outdoor rides for warmer weather. Right now, it is just too cold. If you are moving the bike at 10MPH and its it is 40 degrees outside (I know there is a formula to figure out wind-chill but my math skills are reserved for training math only).  So let’s just say it’s cold. 

I have been chilled to the bone riding in Central Park when its 65 degrees so I can only imagine how cold it would be at 40. I have recently discovered Livestrong bikes in my gym and I like them as much as you can like an indoor stationary bike. It projects outside on your screen while taking you through rolling hills and pretty parks in Utah, Vermont and California. I find that I stay on it longer than I would any traditional bike and this is a good thing but no substitute for the real thing.

In addition to being a better workout, there are no phone calls, emails or texts when you are outside (you would definitely be THAT guy if you brought along your phone). And you can let your mind wander (careful in traffic) and be free for a half hour. While I am writing this, I am thinking of all the time I spend outside. The dog has gone for his third walk already today (talk about high maintenance ). We will still spend an hour in the dog park not to mention skiing on the weekends. No wonder I have such rosy cheeks!

This has been a fairly mild winter and it does the mind & body good to get some fresh air.  Take advantage of it before it gets winter returns again. I ran outside last week twice, once in shorts!  Of course not all exercise can be done outside easily, like weight lifting so let's be practical. 

Go for a walk outside or a run and I promise you, you will feel great!

Play hard!
Laura

a photo montage

Back on January 12, I shared an article with you about things that people do in the gym that are not working out or not their best effort.

Today I am sharing with you my own personal photos and videos from my gym.

I am not a photographer and I do not know how to edit any photos to block face but I did the best I could of not capturing faces. 

I was suspended from school for two days in my junior year for passing around a photo with a girl wearing a bra in the background whose face you could not see. I am hoping that by sharing these, people are more aware that no matter where you are, out in public, you have the potential to be on camera.

Play hard, but not like this!

Laura

The readers, the talkers and the holders:

Play hard, but not like this!
Laura