The past 94 days of my life

It all started on September 19^th, 94 days ago. The past 94 days of my life have been nothing short of a roller coaster ride.  94 days ago I started my dream job at the YMCA in Portland, Maine. It was 101 days ago that I began working 3^rd shift as a seasonal Frontline Supervisor at L.L.Bean. It was early August that I started working with a couple of new clients at Fitness Success in Yarmouth.  And in late August I started coaching varsity cross-country at Gray-New Gloucester High School in August.

The scenario was simple (ha!): L.L.Bean was relying on me to be responsible for the trainers who were responsible for training 700 seasonal workers. The YMCA was relying on me to jump headfirst in to the state of Maine run ME.First program (more on this to come in a future blog) and help state of Maine workers lose weight and get healthy. Theresa of Fitness Success in Yarmouth, the small personal training studio I operate out of once a week, was relying on me to cover classes for her and to continue to train several clients, one of which was a Miss Maine USA pageant contestant I had been working with since the beginning of August.  And the Gray-New Gloucester cross-country team was relying on me to help build a program that hasn’t seen much glory since its inception many years ago. Four jobs? No problem, consider it done! 

Wait as second…when was I going to sleep?

Up until recently, L.L.Bean had been my “day job” and fitness training, while being my true passion, was nothing more than supplemental income. However, I immediately jumped at the offer t join the YMCA in Portland, but I had already made several other commitments. Being the stubborn yet loyal person I am, I decided that I would sacrifice myself and my sleep in order to remain committed to everyone I had committed to.

The end of September was pretty easy, really. Working four jobs was somewhat exhilarating as I had found a new way to challenge myself—reduce the amount of sleep, increase the amount of working hours, and increase the amount of income.

But then October came. I would work at L.L.Bean from 8:30 PM to 4 or 5 AM, go to the YCMA 8 AM to 1 PM, drive to Gray to coach from 2 to 4 PM, drive back to the YMCA and train from 5 PM to 8 PM. Saying I was tired would be a gross understatement. The YMCA schedule was somewhat variable to meet client’s demands. 3^rd shift at L.L. Bean was ramping up and I was required to put in long overnight hours. The cross-country season was in full swing and my Miss Maine USA hopeful was gearing up for her pageant in November. There were many days that I literally slept for half an hour. There was only one day in October that I actually slept for 8 hours. Just one.

Once November rolled around, I was beyond tired. Fortunately the cross-country season had come to an end at the end of October, but it was now time for hunting season. The sleepless days and nights continued; I probably averaged 3 hours per night/early morning in November. My sanity may have been saved when the YMCA schedule still accounted for the 2-4 PM coaching I was doing. Since I wasn’t coaching I would go straight home, walk Lucy and eat lunch at the same time, then take an hour-long nap. An hour isn’t much, but it probably saved me.

As November came to a close, I could see the light that was the end of December in the distance. “Peak” (L.L.Bean’s busiest time of the year) was in full swing. I was still busy overseeing a different area of the operation (training the seasonal workforce had ended). It was on December 1^st that I gave my notice to L.L.Bean so I could pursue my dream job as a fulltime fitness instructor. I was completely worn out and wanted nothing more than to go to sleep.

Now here I am, still wanting to sleep, reflecting on the last 94 days of my life. While “whirlwind,” “roller coaster,” and “absolute craziness” are all understatements to the past three months, I don’t know if I would have changed a thing about it. I learned an incredible amount of how much stress the human body can endure. I’ve learned that sleep is often an under-appreciated time in our day. And I’ve learned that it’s important to stick to your commitments and values. It would have been extremely easy for me to bail on L.L.Bean, but I had committed to them and they relied upon me. I could have bailed on coaching or even my Miss Maine USA client in order to save a few precious hours in my day. But I didn’t because I had committed, and I believe I’m now a better person because of it.

Next time I hear someone say, “I’m too tired to work out,” or complain that they don’t want to do an exercise because they “didn’t get enough sleep last night,” (both excuses I’ve heard plenty of times) I am going to dial up the intensity on them because I know their bodies can handle it. I tend to joke that I’m a “physical specimen” to people who are close to me, but in the end we are all physical specimens. When we ask our bodies to perform or function a certain way, more times than not we can get a positive response from them and they'll do what we ask of them. It's just not always very pretty.

Alright, enough typing.  It’s time to start catching up on 94 days worth of sleep.

VROOOM goes the metabolism

What is this thing called metabolism? Everyone has heard of it but not everyone understands it, as much as they may think they do. Studies suggest that a person's metabolism is directly related to genetics and some people who have a hard time losing weight use this as an excuse as to why they can't lose weight. However, there are ways to increase your BMR (basal metabolic rate, or the rate at which your body burns calories while at rest) without worrying too much about genetics. One thing is for sure, though, and that is everyone would like their BMR to be "higher."

So what does it even mean to "rev" our metabolism and how do we do that?

Metabolism can be defined as the chemical reactions in the body's cells that convert fuel (food) into energy. A person's metabolism is determined by three things: how often they exercise, how much lean muscle versus fat they have, and their BMR. Metabolism is what determines weight loss. Nothing else does. A common myth amongst the general population is that if you stop eating you'll lose weight. WRONG! If you stop eating or severely limit your caloric intake, your body goes into starvation mode and actually lowers your BMR.

Want to know how to lose weight? Are you ready for the secret that will make me rich?!

Here it is: Consume less energy than you burn.

I'd better patent that idea...

This isn't a new concept but there is a little more to it than that. Increase your "burn" by adding some resistance work (weight training) to your workout routine so you can take full advantage of your metabolism. While cardio is an excellent way to burn a lot of calories at once, you need to have lean muscle on your body to rev and and keep your basal metabolic rate high so you can burn more calories at rest. I love chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting. I love it even more knowing that my body is burning it off as soon as I put it in my mouth. That is what having lean muscle mass can do for you, and you get that by doing some pushups, curling some dumbbells, and doing some squats. Period.

Here are a couple of sure-fire ways to rev your metabolism:

1. As I just mentioned, weight train.
2. Exercise your cardiovascular system at least three times per week for 30 minutes per day.
3. Eat six small meals throughout the day to keep your metabolism high. Skipping meals will slow your metabolism down. These meals should include lean proteins, healthy fats, veggies, fruits, and/or whole grains.
4. Eat breakfast to wake up your metabolism. And when you do, eat foods rich in carbohydrates and dietary fiber.

So go rev your metabolism so you can have more energy, burn more calories, and perhaps have a piece of guilt-free desert!

A new you in 100 days!

According to Dr. Henry S. Lodge of Columbia Medical School, your body replaces about 1% of its cells every day. Think about that for a second. That means essentially after 100 days you will have an entirely brand-new you! The brand-new you would come at a cost, however. It is up to you to treat those new cells better than you treated the old 1% that died yesterday.

You have a choice. You can replenish your body with brand-new cells that are properly nourished, strong, and energetic, or you can replace them with unhealthy, slow, sedentary cells that are killing you. Personally I prefer the former.

Because of this incredible capability of your body, you could have a new you in 100 days. Most good fitness programs aim for a drastic change in your health and appearance within 90 days of starting (P90X, anyone?) This isn't a coincidence, people. If you exercise hard 6 out of every 7 days, eat right, drink plenty of water, and get 7-8 hours of sleep a night, then YOU can be NEW in 100 days!

Don't you want to look younger, feel younger, and perform younger in 2012? Of course you do! It's time to start building yourself all over again, the way you want to, 1% per day, one day at a time.

 

Holiday Indulgence

Can you believe that the holidays are upon us? I personally can't.  It seems like just last week I was kayaking in Casco Bay and running the Back Cove Weekly 5K and running up Mt. Cocorua with Lucy on my 29th birthday. But now it's almost December! And with December comes the holidays. And with Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year comes overeating, stress, and inevitable weight gain. Inevitable weight gain? Bah humbug, I say!

The vast majority of us Americans over-consume when it comes to the holidays. I mean, how can we not? There are plates of delicious cookies, pies, chocolates, buckeyes (my personal favorite), fudge, and so on. It's the American way to over consume. It's also the American way to complain about it afterwards. Well guess what...you don't have to fall victim to "inevitable weight gain." Here are a few tips to keep in mind before, during, and after you party.

1. Plan ahead. The party you are headed to obviously is going to have food. What are the chances the host is going to have a nice fruit and vegetable spread? Not likely. So snack ahead of time. Eat a high-protein or high-fiber snack. Either will keep you feeling satiated longer.

2. Don't go to a party hungry. The more hungry you are the more you will most likely eat. Instead, focus on snacking throughout the day. This will keep your blood-sugar level up, your mood good, and your daily calorie intake in check.

3. Drink water, and a lot of it. For every drink you have, drink a glass of water. Every beer you consume contains roughly 60-200 calories. Soda and juice can be full of sugar and calories. These calories are pure carbohydrates, which are perfect if you are looking to add some unnecessary weight this season. By drinking water you help your system flush the alcohol and help keep you sober, where you are less likely to make bad decisions--eating or otherwise.

4. If you happen to overeat at one meal, go light on the next meal. Balance and moderation is key. Having one extra piece of pie one time won't make you gain weight. If you are a repeat offender, then you'll fall victim to "inevitable weight gain."

5. Try to keep your plate colorful. Brownies, cookies, and pies tend to be more bland in color. Challenge yourself to get as many fruits and veggies on your plate as you can. Fruits and veggies come in a variety of colors so be creative!

Follow these steps and you'll have a much happier holiday season. Let's face it, everyone enjoys a good party and it's not a terrible thing to enjoy a treat or two that you normally wouldn't have at any other time during the year. But challenge yourself to be mindful about what you are putting in to your body. If you can accomplish this then you might just be able to turn the inevitable weight gain into weight maintenance or even surprising weight loss.

Spinning yourself into fitness!

I recently taught my first spin class at the YMCA in Portland. Spinning is something I've been interested in teaching since listening to a high-energy spin class while working out at a local personal training studio a couple of years ago, so when the Y asked me to teach a class I jumped at the opportunity. The energy that that class gave off was incredible so I thought it could be a great chance to somehow duplicate that to a wider range of people. Not to mention that the Y offered to certify me, so I couldn't say no!

For those of you who aren't quite sure what a spin class is--let me explain. It's essentially a stationary biking class with attitude. You can do cardio intervals by mixing up some "hill climbs" or "sprints," or play around with the tension or depth in which you ride on the bike. If none of this makes much sense, perhaps you should show up for a class (if you dare). Tuesday and Thursday nights from 6:15-7:00 at the Portland YMCA. Do it...show up!

Only one person showed up for the first class. Having only a few people show to a class that is just starting out after summer is pretty common, but it's also a crucial opportunity to leave a good impression on those few people so that they spread the word and bring some of their friends. So I was determined to put my lone participant through a leg-burner that she soon wouldn't forget, but not so much so that she wouldn't be able to walk for days.

In the few weeks since the first class, several more people have shown up.  They all leave with a little wobble to their walk, but content nonetheless. One person actually thanked me for a "beautiful class." So if you want to burn some serious calories, strengthen your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, shoulders, triceps, abs and numerous other muscle groups, then show up to a spin class near you!

State Champ? Maybe someday.

As some of you know, I'm coaching varsity cross-country at Gray-New Gloucester High School this fall. I was offered the job on a whim this summer because of the successes I had coaching middle school track last spring. I took the job because coaching varsity cross-country has been a dream of mine ever since I graduated high school in 2000.

Now let's fast-forward a bit because this blog entry has nothing to do with cross-country.

A week or two ago I was waiting outside the school with the team for the bus to take us to our second meet of the season. As we were waiting, I noticed a familiar looking man walk by. After taking a moment to recognize him, I called out, "Hey are you Zack's dad?"

He looked over at me and said, "Yeah," then started walking towards me.

"I'm Coach Nate," I said, extending my hand to him. "I coached Zack last spring in the high jump."

"Oh, you're the coach responsible for starting my son out to be a state champion," he said.

A little confused by what he meant--there isn't a "state champion" at the middle school level--I said, "What do you mean?"

"Well, after school ended Zack continued to do the high jump for USATF. He ended up jumping 5'5" by the end of the year. He actually had the best jump in Maine and went on to Nationals in Kansas in June."

Now let's get something straight. 5'5" is an unbelievable jump for a 7th grader. Truly remarkable. What makes this even more remarkable is that this kid hadn't even attempted to high jump until the 2nd or 3rd meet of the season when he was goofing off in practice and decided to give it a shot. I saw him fly over that bar--with pretty poor form but a lot of vertical height--and knew instantly that with some work he could be a heck of a jumper. So we worked on it over, and over, and over again in practice until he got up to 5'0" by the middle school conference meet. Apparently he has worked even harder since then and got up to 5'5"!

"If he keeps working hard and jumping like that he could be a state champion by his junior or even sophomore year."

"Maybe. Zack would probably have wanted to tell you all that himself but I couldn't help it I'm so excited," his dad said.

Successes like this are why I love helping people help themselves--whether it be through fitness training, coaching or just giving advice. At the end of the day, I can't consider it work.

The Great Adventure Challenge Triathlon--Part 2, GLORY!

Well kids, I did it. The unthinkable. The unimaginable. The most rewarding thing I've done for myself, personally, in my fitness lifetime. I won a triathlon. The Great Adventure Challenge 2011 is all mine. As is the fastest time ever on it for the 17-34 year old age group: 2:13:19. I beat the previous record, which was set last year, by 1 minute and 11 seconds. The second place guy finished in 2:21:40. Glorious. 

Not to mention I broke my own 17-34 age group run record (last year was 30:10, this year was 27:02). I took 2:37 off my 2010 kayak time and a 4:42 off my 2010 bike time.

Of all of it, I must say I'm most proud of the run. Literally you run straight up the face of Shawnee Peak, then around the warming hut at the top, then straight back down. Your legs are jello and the sun is blasting you for about 98% of it. It's the last leg of the race, directly following the grueling, and I mean grueling 14+ mile mountain bike ride. You want to die. If God struck down any of the athletes as they are climbing/running/limping up the face of Shawnee, I guarantee none of them would have minded if given the chance. None.

Fortunately the ambulance wasn't put to use. My parents and three of my friends came to cheer me on--without them I'm not sure I would have been so successful--and everyone at the event had a great time. Over $7000 was raised for Good Neighbors, a group dedicated to working with adults with disabilites.

It was a glorious day, indeed, and I look forward to training even harder next year to defend my title.

The Great Adventure Challenge Triathlon--Part 1, Training

So tomorrow is the much anticipated Great Adventure Challenge Triathlon. Much anticipated by me, of course.

This isn't your every day tri we're talking about here. The GAC includes 2.5 miles of open-water kayaking, followed by 14+ miles of mountain biking, and finishes up with a run up and down Shawnee Peak (GAC). Last year was the first year I did the GAC and was actually the first tri I've ever done. I went in to last year's event with the mindset that all I wanted to do was finish. Needless to say that I blew my own expectations away with a 2nd place finish in my age group and a new course record on the run up and down Shawnee. They even gave me a trophy!

I left last year's tri with the determination that I was going to do it again in 2011 and do it to win it. I was behind the winner by 9 minutes and 18 seconds, which is quite a gap to cover in essentially only two events (the kayak and bike portion because I won the run). 

Fast forward to May 2011. Training begins. This is the time of year to really build a base for an event that takes place in late August. Running outside becomes easier (and warmer). Mountain biking is actually pretty fun because of the crazy amount of mud on the trails. Kayaking isn't quite feasible yet--for me anyway-- but stabilization and core exercises start becoming a whole lot more routine.

Training through the summer months is pretty easy if you focus. But it's when the two-a-days start in early August that you might start questioning your own sanity. Bike in the morning, run at night. Lift in the morning, bike at night. Kayak in the morning, run at night. You get the idea. Brutal through the dog days of summer but absolutely essential if you want to succeed. This past week has been a taper week, meaning the two-a-days are over and it's time for a recovery and lots of pasta!

I've had a little outside help to try and speed up last year's time. Two good friends of mine have coached me up (one in kayaking, one in mountain biking) and even let me borrow some of their gear. Anything to help shave off those 9 minutes and 18 seconds...

...but who really knows what tomorrow will bring. It doesn't take much to derail months of hard training--a flat tire, someone falling in front of you, falling yourself, tipping over in the kayak...anything! With a little bit of luck and some knocking on wood and a focused plan, none of those things will happen and I should be sprinting down Shawnee in one piece, wondering where my trophy is.

Intervals

Intervals. We've all heard the term and they can certainly apply to a wide variety of things, but the intervals I want to write about are cardio intervals, the most beneficial form of cardio that there is, period.

Anyone who goes to the gym or has ever gone to the gym has run on a treadmill. Now I ask you this: How fun was it? Are you seeing the results you desire? It's not called the "dreadmill" for nothing. This is probably because you run for the standard 20-30 minutes, two or three times a week. Then you might even go as far as going home and saying to yourself or someone else something along the line of "I ran at the gym today and according to the treadmill I burned 500 calories so I deserve this ice cream!" Sorry, this doesn't work in my book. What you need is to do intervals and stay off the ice cream. Then it's hello Result City!

Intervals combine short bursts of speed or intensity followed by a longer recovery period and can be done in any form of exercise--running, biking, walking, even resistance training. This process of increasing and decreasing your heart rate will get you better results quicker, guaranteed. The American Council of Sports Medicine believes that not only will you burn more calories in short bursts of high-intensity exercise, but you will also see a improvements in your cardiovascular fitness as well (HIT High-Intensity Training Benefits). 

I'm a huge believer in the benefits of interval training not only for myself for when I'm training for a race, but it is the very first routine I put my clients through when they start working with me. After a proper warmup, I'll have the client get on the elliptical for 15 minutes and perform intervals of usually 15 seconds at a higher speed and 1 minute at recover speed. The beauty of intervals is that they can vary, too! Try 30 at a high speed followed by 1 minute recovery, followed by 15 seconds high speed, followed by 45 seconds recovery.  The key is to let your heart rate fully recover, though!

Personally, I'm not a fan of running long distances at one pace because I have the attention span of a fruit fly. So I mix it up by picking out some telephone poles along the road and running hard--not sprinting--for one set followed by an easy jogging recover for the next set. Try this on the road and you're bound to see faster results as well as a workout that just seems to fly by!

Pushing through the mind chatter

You may or may not have noticed that I haven't posted a blog in about a month and a half. There have been a lot of things changing in my life, all of which have taken a great deal of energy to handle. Many times during the past six weeks I haven't really felt like exercising because of my lack of energy and focus.  However, when push came to shove I have been able to push through the mind chatter (for the most part) and focus on the task at hand: get the workout done!

Let's face it: life is full of distractions. Too tired, too sore, too busy, too much to do, rather do this, rather do that, blah blah blah.... Enough! These aren't just distractions, they're excuses! Time to put them away and focus. Exercise will actually clear your head so you can better handle all these distractions once you've completed your workout.

Obviously there are times when your workout just won't happen. But that means you just make up for it the next day. Can't go for a run on Tuesday because you've got a bored (board? ha!) meeting? Then go for a bit of a longer run on Wednesday or Thursday. Couldn't hammer out your weekly chest and back exercise on Monday because you're too hung over from the weekend? Well, hopefully this isn't the case but if it is then do it Tuesday and workout on Saturday or Sunday, one of which would have been your day off. 

The point is that we all are faced with distractions. Get over it. Pushing through the mind chatter of "too busy" or "too tired" or whatever will make you a stronger--mentally and physically--person. And isn't that what it's all about?

INSANITY update

Ugh. That pretty much sums up the insane workouts that makes INSANITY what it is--insane! By no means is this workout program for the wimpy, the beginner, or the excuse maker.

The program is 60 days long and and will supposedly give you a "total body transformation." So far I've completed almost 6 weeks of it and all I've got say is OUCH! It's just about 100% cardio with some cardio/resistance exercises thrown in and a little stretching here and there.

Day 2 was probably the most difficult day yet (Day 1 was the fit test). While I consider myself to be in good shape and to have a pretty good cardio base, I wasn't expecting the punch in the face I got on Day 1. The warmup alone is enough to be any normal persons workout. The trainer, Shaun T, has you go through three rounds of seven exercises at 30 seconds each with the first being slow, the second a little faster, and the third all out blazing fast with zero break in between. My heart rate is in the 150's during the last round of moves. It was unbelievable and pretty uncomfortable.

Then you stretch.

Then you get busy. The first 4 weeks has 4 different workouts scrambled around each week with Day 7 always being a rest day. Each workout is about 35 minutes long (including the crusher of a warmup!) and has you absolutely dripping by the last minute. And out of breath. And in a little bit of pain (but in a good way). Week 5 is a recovery week which is actually pretty easy (thank goodness!) and has you rested and ready for Week 6 (the week I am currently in). Now, I didn't think that the workouts could get any harder than they did in the first 4 weeks. Wrong! Week 6 changes it up big time by bringing in new moves, new (i.e. longer) workouts and a whole new approach to cardio conditioning.

All I have to say is that my fellow tri-athletes had better watch out this summer. Things might just get a little INSANE!

Easter candy, anyone?

Obviously your diet is extremely important. In fact, I would say that it is more important than exercise itself. If you ate healthy foods 100% of the time (lean proteins, healthy fats, fruits, veggies, and whole grains, in reasonable portions) and did not exercise, then I would be inclined to say that you'd be healthier than if you ate junk food most of the time and exercised moderately. "Inclined" is the key word here.

But let's face it: We like our sweets! Most Americans have a sweet tooth that can be tamed with a sampling of chocolate or a peanut butter cup or the occasional ice cream (put the three of these together and you have my ultimate weakness!) However, a lot of people give in far too often when it comes to the sweets and candy. My advice is this: Find a happy medium. Will you lose all of you progress in your fitness routine by stopping by the ice cream stand on your way home from work? Well, if it's a daily stop then yes, of course you will! But there is absolutely nothing wrong with indulging yourself once in awhile with a sweet reward for you hard work. If you can control your cravings and allow yourself to enjoy a cookie or two every now and then, then you're setting yourself up for long-term success. Don't beat yourself up if you find yourself eating a few too many jelly beans today. Enjoy them and come back strong again tomorrow!

The Kids Are Alright

I was given a chance this spring to do something that I absolutely love: To coach track and field. Well, I don't yet know if I love to coach track and field because this is my first go around at it, but I absolutely love the sport itself. I ran cross-country and track back in the late 90's at Marancook Community School, and I can honestly say that I've missed both sports since graduating in 2000.

Now I'm not one of those people who clings to their high school glory days by telling stories from 12 years ago to anyone who has an open ear. No, I'm a guy who ran a 4:46 1600 meter (the mile, and a promising time for me at the time) as a junior in my last meet of the season at the Eastern Maine Championships in the spring of 1999, only to follow that performance up with a senior year that saw me contract mononucleosis early in the season. Coming down with mono early that year was a huge let down for me. I was coming off a solid cross-country season and indoor track season and was really amped up for a great finish to a memorable high school career. I had personal goals of running a sub-4:30 mile and to run a sub-1:50 800 meter (half mile). But all that changed when I wasn't even able to practice due to the dreaded kissing disease!

As I recovered throughout the season, I found that running the 1600 with any sort of effectiveness was not going to happen. I became winded and extremely tired during the last 2 laps. This led me to focusing on the 800 meter, a middle-distance event that is more like a long sprint. Needless to say, my high school running career, while once was filled with a lot of promise, came to a disheartening end. But the fire was still in my belly...

Fast forward 11 years. I was hired on the spot to help coach at the Gray/New Gloucester Middle School. I've been given a wonderful chance to leave an impression on a group of kids who are more or less just starting out in track and field. We've only had a couple weather-shortened weeks of practice, but it sure feels good to be back on the track. Although I won't be the one trying to run a personal best mile, I am going to do what I can to teach kids on how they can succeed in their events. Working exclusively with the runners (mostly the 800 and 1600 runners and some sprinters), I've come to realize just how much I've really missed track and field. I'm hoping to lay a foundation for the kids that they can build off of when they get to the high school level, and hopefully they can enjoy some of the successes that I enjoyed when I was their age.

But in the mean time, Go GNG Patriots! Yeah, that little burning fire that's been in my belly since the Spring of 2000 will never go away...      

"There's no crying in baseball"

Even though Tom Hanks' famous line came in 1992 from the movie A League Of Their Own, it could certainly be put to use here early on in the 2011 Major League season.

Not only does the start of the regular season mean that summer fun is right around the corner, it also means it's time for a lot of big-time-money-making ball players to find themselves in pain and on the disabled list. I don't follow baseball as closely as I do the NFL, but I've noticed a lot of injuries to players this year, specifically to "side" muscles throughout the league. Several well-known players such as Evan Longoria, Jason Bay, and Brian Matusz, among others, have found themselves watching from the dugout due to oblique or intercostal muscle strains.

Oblique muscles and intercostal muscles serve separate yet similar purposes (both assist with breathing while oblique muscles help rotate your torso). They can also be injured the same way. Both injuries are usually common in athletes who are required to rotate their torso quickly with a lot of force. Obviously baseball players, whether it be a pitcher or a batter, need to rotate their torso forcefully in order to throw the ball or swing the bat. However, these injuries can be avoided with proper conditioning and stretching, something I'm wondering if ballplayers are getting enough of.

How does this information relate to the everyday person? Well, with it being spring time you are probably out in your back yard doing some cleaning, right? Perhaps you are lifting something down from a shelf in your shed and putting it on the floor beside you. Or maybe you are throwing some brush up and into the back of a pickup truck. Or maybe you are checking to see if your lawn mower will start by pulling on that frayed old cord. Regardless of which of these or any other movement you might be doing, chances are you are breathing heavier and rotating your torso. The real key to preventing injury is to stretch...

Click here to see some stretches you can do for your obliques. There's no crying in baseball and there shouldn't be any crying (from injury) in your backyard projects!

INSANITY...

...is defined by Webster's Dictionary as "a deranged state of the mind usually occurring as a specific disorder." It also happens to be the name of the 60-day workout program I'll be starting tomorrow. That's right, tomorrow I will be embarking on a 60-day journey of self-punishment in a quest to successfully complete what is considered the most difficult workout ever put on DVD.

Check out part of the infomercial...

You're probably asking why in the world would anyone want to put themselves through such misery. The answer is simple: because it's there. I love taking on challenges that most people would deem impossible, difficult, or uncomfortable. That is why I ran cross-country in high school. That is why I hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine in 2005. That is why I ran the Boston Marathon and completed P90X (at the time the hardest workout ever put on DVD) in 2007 and why I am hooked on triathlons after doing my first last summer. And that is why I want to conquer Insanity in 2011.

However, that isn't the only reason. Like I said, I'm a triathlete and road racer and figure this is going to be an unbelievable tool to propel me to the next level this summer. Insanity is largely cardio based, designed on a training concept known as MAX Interval Training. Anyone who has ever taken one of my classes or talked with me about exercise knows that I'm a HUGE fan of intervals (short bursts of intensity followed by longer periods of rest).  It's the best way to get in shape and strengthen your heart in the shortest amount of time. Well, the creator of Insanity took traditional interval training and flipped it so that you preform long periods of high intensity training followed with short periods of rest. The final product: The most intense training system ever put on DVD.

So these next 2 months should be a pretty interesting ride. Updates will be given (if I can function well enough). Wish me luck.

No Plateau Cardio

Is your number one reason for hating winter because of your inability to get outside and stay outside? Let's face it, the biggest reason that we love summer is because we get to be outside. Whether it be going to the beach, eating on the back deck, taking a walk, going for a swim, inhaling the smell of freshly cut grass, hiking a scenic trail, or taking a long bike ride to the local ice cream stand, all of us love the time that we spend outside in the summer. Winter and early spring force us inside to the comforts of our couches, televisions, and fireplaces. 

Now there's nothing wrong with a little downtime with a good book while sitting by the wood stove, but who wants to do that year round? And what if we want to exercise? Ahhhh...enter the much-hated "dreadmill" (more commonly known as the treadmill, of course). The treadmill has to be one of the most boring pieces of exercise equipment that man has created, yet we tend to think that the one of the only ways to get our cardio work in during the winter is to climb aboard and thump away on it.     

Not anymore. Enter "No Plateau Cardio," a fitness class that I designed (and my lovely girlfriend so properly named) that turns makes indoor cardio actually somewhat fun. Gasp!  What?!  How can indoor cardio be fun?! It can be fun when your muscles, lungs, and brain are constantly adjusting to the variety of exercises that you are being exposed to.

For instance, there are typically five people in the Tuesday night class. Therefore, there is typically a total of 5 stations. Each station has 3 different exercises at it. Each exercise is 20 seconds long, totaling one minute spent at each station. The group will exercise at each station once before a water break, totaling 5 minutes of cardio exercise. So the class is doing a total of 15 exercises in 5 minutes. Oh the variety!

Cardio is obviously important. It's important not only for your body but for your brain as well. There are so many ways to get an effective cardio workout done (just get that heart rate up!) without using a treadmill or an elliptical that your head would spin if I listed them all here. Once spring and summer arrive we'll all be out walking and biking and swimming and running. But until then, try mixing up your cardio routine...your body and brain will love it!

Pets and Health

Four weeks ago, I adopted a dog. She is currently 7-months old and is an Australian Cattle Dog/black Lab mix named Lucy. Before adopting her, I did my homework on all the different breeds I might be interested in. I ultimately wanted a dog that had a decent amount of energy--but wasn't bouncing off the walls every second--so that we could go hiking and running together. Turns out that Cattle Dogs have lots of expendable energy--combine that with being only 7-months old and WOW!

Fast forward 2 weeks after adopting Lucy. I was on my fourth walk with Lucy when I started thinking about how good dogs are for us. Lucy may or may not have needed to have been walked a total of five times that day, but what would America look like if people went on five walks a day? So I did a little digging...

After doing a little poking around, it became crystal clear that pets are really, really, really good for us! They have been proven to control blood pressure, reduce stress and anxiety, improve your mood, and make us get out and exercise and even facilitate the development of social contacts (check these articles for more info Dog-owners 'lead healthier lives' and How Owning a Dog or Cat Can Reduce Stress). 

Going out and adopting a dog just because isn't what I'm saying here. People can easily be happy and healthy without pets. But if you're looking for an extra boost or reason to get out and breath some fresh air and get healthy, then grab your buddy's leash and go do it! Both you and your pal will benefit, guaranteed.

I've only had Lucy for 4 weeks now but I can't wait to get her out hiking on some mountainside in the White Mountains this summer. In the meantime, hour-long walks or five-fifteen minute walks a day will have to do!

Choices

Well here it is. My very first blog. This is something that I've been thinking about doing for quite some time now. The reason being that this took so long is because I'm not exactly technology-savvy and wasn't too sure where to start. However, with a little help and inspiration from a friend and a burning desire to help others, I decided that today is the day to start my journey of blogging, so you can start your journey of dreaming and succeeding.

You see, it all boils down to choices. Every single choice in every single minute of every since day results in a decision. That decision leads to having to make another choice, which results in another decision. It's a constant, endless cycle that will never end until we take our last breath. I made the choice to start a blog.  The choice to do so led me to a decision: which blog website do I go with? After deciding on Blogger, I was faced with another choice: topics. What do I write about? After deciding on writing about choices, I needed to figure out what the substance would be. See the cycle here?

Well, I didn't choose to start a fitness blog to write about blogs. I chose to start a fitness blog because I want to help you reach your goals, dreams, and aspirations. Everybody has dreams, but not everybody realizes that we get there by the choices we make. We all choose to get up and go to work in the morning (although sometimes we wish we didn't have to). We choose the outfits we're going to wear. We choose how our hair will look. We choose where to walk the dog. We choose what we want for breakfast. We choose our route to work. We choose whether or not to smile and say hello to people at work. All these choices lead to decisions...

By choosing to exercise, we have made a decision. Automatically. Done! Easy, huh?  We have decided to get healthier, even if by a tiny fraction of an amount, on that particular day. We've decided to lower our blood pressure, fight diabetes, fight obesity, get stronger, burn fat and calories, and just plain ole' feel better! All we have to do is choose to do this. This sounds simpler than it is, I know. But trust me, if you choose to have all of these positive things to happen to you on a day-in-day out basis, then you've already decided that you want the rest of your life to reward you with feeling great. And trust me, that is the best decision you can ever make. And look!--you've already started by choosing to read my blog.