Friday

Hi. It's Laura.

I would love to tell you what a wonderful week of workouts I had but I am afraid I am ending the week on a stomach bug. I skipped my swim this morning but planning on doubling up tomorrow to get in the hours.

Meanwhile, I found this in the NY Times, Enjoy!

Exercise Fuels the Brain

Have a great weekend!

Play hard!
Laura

I want to ride my bicycle

Hi. It’s Laura, 

I am happy to report that The Husband and I got new bikes. We actually purchased them a while ago but only picked them up last night. Sizing, shipping, assembly and vacation got in the way of taking them home that day. Regardless of the weather, we were both anxious to get out on them today. 

If you remember, I have fond memories of bicycles and my last one most of all. I put a lot of miles on that one and, although I w sad to see it go, I am way more excited to have the new one.  ( I donated it to Recylce a Bicycle, a worthy cause)  

My old bike was a hybrid mountain bike with road tires which made it a little (but not much) faster considering the bike itself weighed something like 40lbs. That maybe an exaggeration but seems right since new ones weighs OUNCES. I can practically (I said practically) lift it with one finger.

I just checked and I can lift it with one finger just not all the way off the ground ( SOOO AWESOME :))) 

The process of buying this bike is much different than the way I have bought any bike in the past. We spoke with sales person about where we were going to ride, how often and what we were looking to do with them (I felt like we were answering questions for Match.com). The technology is also amazing; aluminum; carbon; a mix of the two is a long way from whatever the material my mountain bike was made from. I am sure you can just walk into a store and say hey I would like a bike and they can set you up for a song (a good bike is only around $300). This was not that process. 

Not only is the process different, having such a sophisticated piece of machinery, the ride is different. I got out this morning (it was a little chilly but I couldn't wait) and headed straight for the park. I had no choice but to clip into my pedals. I was holding off until I got inside the park but the shoes and the pedals just wanted to be together (not being ready for this, I almost tipped over at the street light). I started out in the park wobbly. The bike is so light and the tires so thin I just was not used to it. I pedaled slowly to get the feel and to play with the gears. I felt so out of control.

I have cycled in this park so many times before (The Blondish Friend and I used to ride every Friday morning together) but today it felt like I have never been there. I headed up the east side (and to add to the challenge cars were allowed into the park which makes the lanes that much more narrow). Cat hill, not a problem. The flat stretch on the East was lovely. I hit the 102nd street crossover which was windy. And then the Big Hill! Seated climb, I was feeling good.  

I came up with a little trick to remember how to change the gears and started feeling much more confident. By the time I was ready to start my second loop, I was tired. The east side was not as easy and I kept telling myself you can do it. You would think spending time on an indoor train cycle would help prepare for an actual ride. No, not really. I thought I was in good shape until this morning and thought about not finishing (there is a slippery slope if I ever saw one).

I talked myself down and settled back in and finished my entire ride: 1 hour

If you have not guessed by now, I am super excited for my new bike. I am looking forward to the many hours it and I will spend together in the coming weeks.

BTW- I slept last night all the way through! YAHOO

Play hard!
Laura

Insomnia

Hi. It’s Laura. 

There is nothing worse than losing sleep and we all know how important sleep is for us to function normaly 

We sleep in on the weekends because we get up too early for work. We nap to help put deposits in our sleep bank and then we stay out too late, drink too much alcohol or consume too much caffeine. The quest for sleep continues in a cycle in our lives. Most of the things that cause us to lose sleep we can control but insomnia is just a bitch. 

Everyone can experience insomnia in different ways: not being able to fall asleep, waking up too early, waking up feeling exhausted or not being able to stay asleep. The last one has been my problem for the last week with the exception of one night. I have consistently awoke between 2-3 A.M. and then stayed awake for two to two and half hours.  

I have no specific anxiety keeping me awake. Normally you wake up in the middle of the night because you are hot or thirsty or have to pee (these are my reasons, yours may vary [Editor’s Note: Cold, wet noses for a late night walk wake up a lot]). The ability to fall back to sleep after waking, has abandoned me. I am tired, irritable and honestly a little stupid without sleep. Being this tired also makes me think I am hungry. I am reluctant to take a sleeping aid because they usually give me a hangover of sorts (and make me slightly stupid). 

Is there really anything worse than lying in bed with your eyes closed trying to relax and listening to those around you such as The Husband, The Dog and The White Cat (The Black Cat is normal and is up all night ) sleeping soundly. You are just lying there with every thought that is so unimportant and will never be important. I am not worrying about anything (at least that I know of) the tri is too far away to have me this worked up.  

Besides, this started last Wednesday when I was on vacation. UGH 

I am usually so proud of my sleep that I often say I have been given the gift of sleep. I sleep very soundly when I do sleep. Marching bands playing and cats jumping on my head could not wake me. I always feel rested which is why this is so frustrating. The last bout of insomnia I had was just bad enough to keep me awake for four nights but resulted in a cold. 

So I went to the Mayo Clinic website to see what I could find. I found their information on insomnia extremely helpful. (A little insight: worrying about not sleeping can make you not sleep. UGH!) My fingers are crossed that I sleep through the night tonight and break the cycle before I become really stupid. If you have ever battled insomnia check out their website. I found some things out that I did not know. Like some of the causes and some of the risk factors. Not to mention the adverse side effects that happens during the day. 

Play hard & enjoy your sleep!

Laura

Let the Training Begin

Hi. It's Laura 

Here we go! The 15 week countdown has begun before the NYC Triathlon. The NYC Tri is an Olympic (international) distance and consists of a 1.5 K swim (.9 miles), 40K (24.8 miles) bike ride and a 10K (6.2 mile) run.  

I am simultaneously training for a 10K run in June and the5 Boro Bike Tour in May. 

I know it sounds crazy but it makes sense to me. Competitions are way different than throwing on your running shoes and walking out the door. On race day there are crowds to deal with in the starting area. Most of them don't know where they are going or when. And like me, this is probably their first time. You have to get to the starting area, find the right corral and make sure you have all your gear including your chip & number. What I am saying there is plenty going on that you cannot train for UNLESS you do multiple races.  

The first half marathon I ran, I had no idea what to expect or how to run with large groups of people. Who knew there would be large groups of people? There is also plenty of waiting around for the race to start including false start on warming up. The first time I did the 5 Boro Bike Tour, I had no idea I had to ride a bike around so many other bikes. It is not easy. So I am practicing my large group take off by participating in other events before the main event. I have never done a swim event but I do swim at the JCC so that should cover a typical race start (a group of narcissists with guilt complexes about who they are? Check!). 

I know that there is no replacement or training that can substitute for the real day, with adrenaline and nerves but I can certainly try to create the conditions as close as possible.  

I am not so worried about the amount of people. After those two races, I should be feeling better about that. It is the adrenaline that worries me. 

Adrenaline can push you too hard to fast and when you get your heart racing you expend potentially needed energy using it up way to quickly and this will leave you with not enough gas in the tank.  

I know this from my days of competing in martial arts tournaments. The first time you fight someone, not only are you wearing all kinds of gear and a mouth guard ( blocking your mouth for that much needed air) , now someone is trying to punch you or tackle you to the ground (YIKES). The only way to overcome that fear is to do it over and over again. The same applies to any sport. 

So practice, practice, practice.  

Hard core training began this week. It started Monday with a 6.5 mile run and today completed a 30K indoor bike ride. Combine that along with a new round of strength training that incorporates the principals of periodization. Here we go! 

Remember the first time is always the hardest. But you always remember your first ;)

 

Play hard!

Laura

Welcome Back

Hi. It's Laura.

Happy Monday! 

Before we left last week, I got on my soap box about exercising during vacation. I should really watch what I say. 

We started the week celebrating our one year wedding anniversary with a snow cat pulled sleigh ride through the mud (I will explain). We were very lucky to have doggie day care for the weekend (The Parents "live" down the street) and completely took advantage of having them there as well as skipping some mountain hike/poop-runs for the first couple of days. There was no exercise on Sunday or Monday. As a matter of fact, there was no skiing. The temperatures hit 75 degrees on Sunday which brought about spring like conditions (SLCs). I am not a fan of SLCs which generally means the snow was very soft and mushy which makes it hard to "push” the snow. This is also when injuries tend to happen.

Because the snow is soft people tend to ski areas that they normally would not ski (we also call it Hero Snow). Remember I also tore my ACL and meniscus in soft snow last year so NO THANK YOU.

The Parents left on Monday and with it, dog care. The mountain was again 75 degrees on Monday and the mountain was quickly melting as we suspected it would, according to the forecasted weather. I will freely admit, I did no exercise on Monday. That is three days off for me. (YAY!) The Husband and The Dog climbed the home trail twice that day. Guilt begins.

A long story short: Tuesday 80 degrees, Wednesday 80 degrees, Thursday 75 degrees and the mountain was losing miles of terrain daily. We bought shorts and hiking boots to climb the home trail after Monday because doing it in jeans was just too darn hot! Some ski vacation?!

After Monday, I walked the home trail once a day. Let me tell you about the home trail. The home trail is a 1.5 miles ski run that leads from the bunny slope at the base lodge to our condo community. When is has snow on it, we can ski home from the mountain or walk the dog on it. We do hike more of since The Dog needs to get his exercise and it is a flat ski requiring much poling and skating. The trail itself is marked as a green trail which is "easy" but the beginning part of the trail (the end if you are skiing home) is a "blue " which is at least a 45 degree grade talk about a calf killer. So at the end of the day, we hiked 3 miles, 1.5 uphill. Of course the dog runs like a crazy wilderness animal (that he now believes he is) so he probably ran 10 miles each time.

Friday was only 65 degrees, so we played golf. I cannot tell you the last time I played golf on my ski vacation (that is because YOU DON’T PLAY GOLF ON SKI VACATIONS).

The mountain is almost closed and the snow is mostly gone so our ski season comes to an earlier end then we would have liked. But there is not much you can do about the weather.

The week felt long and the rest was definitely needed. As always, it is good to be home.

Play hard!

Laura

Headed for the Hills

Hi. It's Laura.

Today is my last entry until next week. I am headed for the hills with The Husband and The Dog. I will nice to take a break from the everyday but I will definitely miss the daily routine of being able to go to the gym. In order not to lose much cardio and strength we will be skiing and hiking daily (skiing is not definite as the snow is melting rapidly with these spring like temperatures).

 

The place we are going does have a small gym but the equipment is a tad outdated and not very good. I would rather walk up big hills than subject myself to an indoor workout when the treadmill is so old. I am fortunate that I have both options but what do you do when you go on vacation. Taking a vacation is a vacation from work not from your health. 

The AHA recommends 30 minutes of cardio activity most days of the week. What can you do when you go on vacation?  

Start with taking the opportunity to do things you don't get to do in your everyday life.

Headed to the beach? Take long walks along the beach. It’s a great workout. 

If you are hell-bent on making sure you get your regular workout in, most hotels have a small gym to accommodate you (the last business trip I was on there was a daily battle at 5am for the two treadmills in the hotel). If your hotel is in a nice area, take the opportunity to explore a new neighborhood and take a walk or run.

Heading to a resort? There are all kinds of activities resorts offer that are usually free. On our honeymoon, The Husband went kayaking alone (the last time we did it together almost made the honeymoon unnecessary). He also turned into part fish and spent most of his days snorkeling.  

Visiting a city? You will probably do plenty of walking around and getting exercise without even knowing it. Find attractions in an area and walk to them all.

 

Now if you are going on a ski vacation (like me) that should be all the exercise you need. Although, with the weather being what it is these days, I will probably have to supplement with some hiking since the snow is melting rapidly.

Exercise is not your job but it should be part of your lifestyle. Make it something that you do every day even when you are on vacation, because you don't take a vacation from your health.

 

Play hard & miss me!

Laura

Food Myths

Hi. It's  Laura.

I love when I find an expert who shares my opinion and has the science to back it up.
Enjoy!

5 Food Myths , Busted

Play Hard!
Laura

Slippery Slope

Hi. It's Laura.

I am leaving this weekend for all of next week for vacation. And I freely admit , it is getting harder each day to find the motivation to get to the gym first thing in the morning as we get closer to the end of the week. I just want to be the weekend to get here (It is stupid. I know skipping a workout does not make the day go faster).

I will of course get everything done (thanks guilt). I also know the more that I stick to my designated schedule the better off I will be when I come back. And once back, the 15 week countdown begins. YIKES. My training will become longer and more intense as I move through the spring (wait isn't the spring already here?).

It certainly feels that spring is here. My allergies have already started and I got a little sunburn on my forehead yesterday at the dog park (so much for that built in SPF in my moisturizer).

Back to skipping one workout. According to a UK study, there is 61 % likelihood that if you skip one workout this week you will also skip and exercise session next week.

Now there is a slippery slope. You skip one this week, one next week. Then it starts. The following you skip two, and so on and so on. My sensei use to remind us that Monday was the most important workout of the week as that set the tone. If you put off Monday’s workout until Tuesday, then you have to work late on Tuesday. So you try to make it up on Wednesday. But an offer for happy hour comes up on Wednesday. You already have plans on Thursday night. Now the week is over because, what is the likelihood of going to the gym Friday night? Exactly!

The same pattern holds with food (why do you think McDonald's is still in business). Once you taste buds get a hold of a little fat , salt and sugar, it wants more. (Remember the whole blog yesterday about being tired and poor food choices?) If you skip one healthy meal for a fattier saltier meal, you are more likely to choose poorly again. Forgive yourself.

One of the reason diets and exercise plans fail is because there is no room for error.

If you fall off the food wagon or skip one workout (although make sure it is a good reason), allow yourself that one misstep and get right back on the wagon. You are assured success on a more flexible path.

Play hard & be consistent!

Laura

Tired Tuesday, the New Monday

Hi. It's Laura. 

Something I have noticed over the last few months is how draggy and cranky and tired I am on Tuesdays. This was not always the case when I was in corporate. Tuesdays were my most productive today, it was Monday that butt dragged but now it is consistently Tuesday.

They are not particularly hard gym days either so I cannot explain why I feel the need to just lay down in the middle of the day on Tuesday and take a serious nap. Usually by midafternoon, I am a walking zombie. By early evening I am finished. Don't try to make plans with me on a Tuesday night.

The most detrimental part of being that tired is eating. When I feel tired, the first thing I reach for is food and it is not usually good food either. There seems to be some "tired" logic that that says “if I am tired,  food will wake me up” or “food will keep me going somehow”. I know this is wrong (didn't I say tired logic).

Apparently I am not alone here, there was a study done at Columbia University that found that women, who were tired, ate 300 calories more than they normally would. I read the article and they deprived these women of sleep. I am not sleep deprived! I get a solid 6 1/2 hours a sleep per night, sometimes more (it used to five so I am getting better). Men on the other hand only took in an extra 262 calories (you have to hate men, it’s easier to lose, they pee standing up and they take in fewer calories when tired).

I find the second most detrimental thing I do when I am tired is reach for coffee. I usually go for it in the late afternoon at about 3ish to 4ish, which of course messes up my whole schedule.

Here is that typical cycle: coffee at three carries me till about 9 PM making me wide awake and feeling good. At five, I have a glass  of wine, I enjoy the wine, I have another glass, stay up past my bed time ( even if it is only a half hour), I sleep poorly because of the caffeine and the alcohol , wake up tired and draggy so the whole thing starts again.  

I have changed that pattern somewhat, I don't drink coffee in the afternoon and if I feel that tired I drink water instead of going for a snack. Water helps pretty much everything and I do find that once I get a little in me, I feel better. Bonus! The water makes me feel full.

Now I know none of this explains why I am always so tired on Tuesdays but hopefully will make you a little more aware of the choices that you make the next time you a dragging through the day.

 

Play hard & eat well!

Laura

Goods, Gadgets and the Non-sell Sell

Hi. It's Laura.

Happy  Monday!

What a very exciting weekend. Saturday the husband and I attended the Multi Sport Expo at Columbia University.  I was very interested in looking at gear because its fun and exciting but instead what I got was information. 
If you have never competed in a race before, the Expo beforehand is essentially a trade show.This one was a little different than ones I have been to before because there ws no race on Sunday fololowing the expo this one for kicking off the Tri season.

Oh, the guilt

Hi. It's Laura.

Some of you will probably laugh, some will shake their head at the silliness of it and others will nod in agreement. I am also sure I am not the only one that goes through this. 

The alarm went off at regular time, I got up, fell back to sleep but only for five minutes (where I had the wackiest dream about losing my phone in the log flume ride. I have no idea why). I had a little coffee and got ready for my run. I checked the temperature (but not the wind, duh) and began my walk to the park. I was cold because I was underdressed and just not feeling the willingness to run. So I tried to talk myself into it when normally I don't even think about it, I just go. But this morning, my butt was dragging. Once I got to Columbus Avenue, I turned around and went home. I acknowledged that I was undressed and that the run was going to be miserable so I thought to myself, I will go to the gym.

I got home, changed into more appropriate clothes and headed to the gym. Once there, I jumped on the treadmill and realized I had to pee (procrastinating perhaps). I get back to the treadmill, picked up my water bottle and towel and went home (again).

A baseball bat to my knee caps and a skull would have been a less severe beating.

 I can beat myself up pretty good but I just could not get myself to do anything this morning. 

Once the self-flagellations ended, I realized I have not taken a day off in nearly three weeks. The Husband and I ski on the weekends and, although that is not running or riding, it is still a workout. Today, my body told me I was tired (I was not listening).

So now I have to live my day with guilt. Why guilt? There should be no guilt in taking a day off (this is the logical trainer talking not the girl who strives to be my picture of perfect). As a matter of fact, you should take days off. I just haven't because I am on a mission. The Husband and I discussed it this morning: when you fail, you learn. You should not beat yourself up (so much easier said, than done). I tried a Google search on guilt and skipping a workout and it all points to versions of eating disorders which makes sense to me.  

In grappling when you got yourself into a bad position, and you tried different things to get yourself out of the position, you don't curse because you got caught. I am trying to apply the same logic today.  

Trainer talk: You need to take days off to let your body recover and can come back stronger. Your body only benefits from a day of rest. When is the last time you injured yourself when you were fully rested? Although rest is an important part of training, take too many days off and your fitness level will start to decrease. This can happen in as little as 48 hours.  

I fully expect to ride the guilt rollercoaster today with moments of logic and no guilt and moments of beating me up for not being able to go to the gym today. I have every intention of doing my Friday workout on Saturday and getting back to my regular regime on Monday. 

Have a great weekend

Play hard & take a day off!
Laura

Weekend cocktails

Hi It's Laura.

Although alcohol is not the number one thing that any fitness professional or dietician would reccomend , we do all do it anyway.
Keeping it as healthy as possible can be super boring ( thank goodness for flavored vodkas) but here are some addtional ideas that I found on Twitter:

Healthiest Cocktails to Order at a Bar


Play hard!
Laura

What inspires you?

Hi. It's Laura

Some days, I really struggle with getting out of bed in the morning to get to the gym. Okay, really its most days. 5:00 am is early (and the garbage trucks aren't even out at 5, maybe at 5:30 but not 5). I also like to say “I start my workouts at 5:30” but it’s really more like 5:40 (so it is close enough).

This morning was a harder morning than most. The Husband and I went to see a man about a birthday party which threw off our whole evening schedule (yes, I am that rigid). This in turn, threw off the morning schedule. Although everything got done, it was little later than usual and today you can call me lead bottom (I ran that slow today).

So what inspires me to get out of bed in the morning when the last thing I want to move?

It’s a long answer with a few parts.

First part: I have been running Central Park on and off for fifteen years but started morning sessions when I moved to the UWS. I can say I hit the park anywhere between 5:30 and 6:00 and change my route frequently. There is one man that I see every morning that I run. I am guessing he is about 70 years old and (still guessing) that he suffered a mild stroke. He cannot lift his feet off the ground so it is more of a shuffle than a run. One arm seems a bit stiff which is why I am guessing that it was stroke. He is out there (more guessing) every day, rain, shine, hot, cold, snow or not. I mostly encounter him on the East Side and he runs the park clockwise. I have never stopped to talk to him (I don't talk to anyone when I run so why make an exception?)  but I either pass him when I run clockwise or see him when I run counter clockwise.

If an elderly man gets out there every day, despite the weather, I have no excuse. 

Second part of my answer: Back in December I was decorating the tree. The Husband was out with the dog. So instead of watching the Grinch or some other holiday classic, I watched the Ironman. If you are unfamiliar with ironman, it is a triathlon held in Hawaii and consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and a marathon (26.2 miles).

They highlighted the elites which are inspiring stories and make me all verklempt on their own. But then they started with the regular people. OMG! There was the woman who was diagnosed with colon cancer, Tara Costa from the Biggest Loser, who has lost over 100 lbs, and then there were the two 80 year old men. One was a doctor and I am sad that I do not remember what the other one did. I watched in awe as the two 80 year olds literally fell down all over the place for the last five miles of the race and ultimately crossed the finish line.  I cried.

The next time you whine about something hurting or find some other excuse not to go to the gym, think of these people and maybe they will inspire you too.

Play hard!

Laura 

As of this writing, I have not done my swim yet today and was considering skipping it until I re-read my own post, off the to the pool I go

Panic

Hi. It's Laura

Yesterday I started checking out on the NYC Tri website.  I have not heard much from them yet (the event is in July). I like to look once in a while and re read what it’s all about, especially the FAQ's. And yesterday, I found myself looking at the Athlete's guide as well as the USAT rules.  

I was most interested in the swim wave start times, I know it’s going to start early but really had no idea what the start time would be. It looks to be around 6am, which I figure is not so bad considering I already get up at 5 (4am today, thanks to The Dog) .

I moved onto the FAQ’s. Now I have not created a website yet but my guess is that to create the FAQ's, they find “THAT GUY” in the crowd and just write down every stupid question he asks. Because to me, FAQ's are not that helpful most of the time because if you use a little logic you can probably figure it out.

This time, I found the questions, for the most part, logical and the answers informative (although the author had a bit of an attitude so I am guessing he/she is tired of answering stupid questions).

As I was reading, I found myself getting anxious. So I moved over to the course map.  I start with the run. It’s in Central Park (I got that). I move to the ride, West side Highway (I got that too I think).  I skipped the swim all together because I can't look. It made me too nervous. 

I start thinking about swimming in the Hudson (which according to the FAQ's is safe BTW) and by the time I finished, I was in a full out panic.  How will I know where to go? What if it rains? What if I can't find my bike in the transition? Can I listen to music? 

So in order to assuage my fear (or just fuel the fire), I decided to go to the USAT and see the actual rules for triathlons.

·         NO DRAFTING – ok, I know what that is and I do not know how to do it. Good there.

·         NO GLASS in the transition area – What idiot would do that?  Wait! Never mind. If it’s a rule the some genius did it

·         NO UNAUTHORIZED assistance – so apparently no one is allowed to help you ride your bike or run the race part or even push or propel  you through the swim- Hmmm?!  A race where you have to do it all yourself, interesting. (Let me write that down. Ok, got it.)

As I continue down the list of rules, I start to feel better. You are allowed any swim stroke as long as you are moving of your own volition. That alone makes me think I can do this. But we will see. I am here for two weeks then I will be gone for one. When I return, the 12 week countdown begins.

When I did my first martial arts tournament, there was no website about rules that I could check. I just showed up and fought, either on the ground (jujitsu) or on your feet (muay tai). I gave it my all because that is what I had been training to do. Same with my first half marathon, I ran and ran and ran and could do the work that was required to finish. Yes there is confusion at the start (mainly about where to go) but you are not alone. There are others there who are at their first one as well (I realize that I am talking myself down again as I write this).

SO here we go! For the next 15 weeks, I will run the gamut of sheer panic to overconfidence.

Please bear with me and cheer me on!

Play hard & stay calm.

Laura

NOTE: I have not heard from anyone that they have registered for the NYC Mini yet. Sooner is better than later!

Nothing ventured

Hi. It's Laura.

Happy Monday!

I would like to share that I happily sore today after an adventurous weekend.  I did mention that after eighteen years of skiing, I was going to try snowboarding for the first time. And I did. 

I cannot tell a lie. I expected to walk into the lesson and be good right out of the gate. OMG, my stomach hurts from laughing so hard at that one.  Don’t get me wrong, this thought is not terribly crazy. First, I have a great sense of balance (martial arts for 11 years, gymnastics as a kid). Second, my center of gravity is pretty low. Third, I’m athletic. Fourth, I got up on the board and surfed to the beach on my first try at surfing. And fifth but most important, I have been skiing for eighteen years. So I was sure I was going to nail this with no problem.

Well it is not as easy as it looks. I spent the morning falling on my knees and/or falling on my butt. With the warmish weather, I got very wet hands from pushing myself out of the snow. As if that was not enough, we went back out after lunch to practice (practice falling I am guessing but there was not actually riding on my part).

My friend, who skied only once before in her life, (we will call her The Snow Newbie) was lapping me (how embarrassing). The Snow Newbie was on the magic carpet and making it down the mountain beautifully (that carpet is an evil contraption meant to cause maximum discomfort).  I am glad someone had a good time.  The Husband quit at lunch and beat us all to the sofa for afternoon naps. [Editor’s note: I respectfully declined to continue since I knew I was going back to skiing immediately. I also was the best in the class so it wasn’t quitting!]

The point:  I tried something new and was not good at it but kept trying because it was fun. Despite all of the falling, we laughed our butts off. We all woke up pretty sore Sunday morning (I feel like I did a million pushups) and viewed my skiing on Sunday with a new perspective and inspired by The Snow Newbie who was willing to try something way outside her comfort zone. 

So inspired in fact, I am adding another event to my Spring calendar. the NYCRR Mini  on June 9^th.  The Mini is a 10K in Central Park (10k is 6.2 miles). It starts that Saturday morning at 8am and I am inviting you to join me! Challenge yourself, there is plenty of time to train for this event, and do something you have not done before or have not done in while.  If you decide to take the challenge, do it NOW. These events fill up fast. Please let me know when you register

Play hard & be inspired!
Laura

Damnit! It's Important

Hi. It's Laura!

Happy Friday!

There is no better way to end the week knowing that you accomplished what you set out to do.

Killed it this week in the gym!  I hit every scheduled workout maybe not at the time they were scheduled for but they still got done and I end the week feeling very accomplished and very healthy.

Speaking of health, have I mentioned the benefits of exercise? I know I have that was rhetorical.

Exercise makes us feel good, it elevates our mood and like I mentioned earlier, make us feel better about ourselves.

We look better. Both cardio and strength training improve the shape of our muscles and make them look toner (because they are) which makes you more attractive. Strength training can help prevent osteoporosis and offset the effects of aging.  As we get older, we lose muscle to help prevent that we exercise.

Cardiovascular exercise benefits are many.

·         Decrease heart rate and blood pressure

·         Increased threshold for the onset of disease

·         Reduce total body fat

·         Reduce the need for insulin

·         Increased exercise is associated with lower death rate from heart attacks and strokes

·         Decreased anxiety and/or depression

·         Reduced the risk of falls

I can go on but I think you get the idea.  I bring this up again today because I read an article in the NY Times yesterday about a study on why moving is so important.  The idea of the article is that lack of exercise increases the risk for type 2 diabetes and you do not have to be overweight to achieve that goal.   Here is the article.  Read it. It’s disturbing.

ACSM (my certification) and the American Heart Association recommend a MINIMUM of 30 minutes of cardiovascular training most days of the week which does not have to be done all at once during the day ( it can be done in 10 min increments) .  If you need help figuring out how to get it in to your schedule or if you know someone else who needs help, let me know, I will help.  You MUST exercise (or you will die).

Have a great weekend!

Play hard & keep moving!

Laura

10 Surprising Facts About Calories

Hi. It's Laura.

Sticking with the nutrition theme this week:

10 Surprising Facts About Calories

Play Hard!
Laura