Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Summer Goals

Without a doubt, the warm weather is here. No more excuses. It is time to make a goal. 9 out of 10 Americans go through life without writing down their goals. I believe that is one of the reasons we do an annual and mid-term consoling with our subordinates. To help get them to set attainable goals. You can do the some for your personal fitness. Now, losing 20 lbs a week, like on NBC's "The Biggest Loser" is not a reasonable goal. Losing 2 lbs a week is. Running a marathon may not seem like a reasonable goal, but it could be. The only question is, are you willing to improve your health and your quality of life?

Here is a step by step plan to reaching a half marathon distance.
1) Run a 5K
The 5K is only 3.1 miles. It is the most common racing distance you will find and it is very easy to train for.

2) Run a 10K
A 10K may seem like an eternity the first time you run one. It will take most people about an hour.

3) Run A 15K or 10 miler
15K and 10 miles runs are a bit more rare, but you can fine them. To train at this distance, it is easy to find an excuse to stop. To help tame this urge to quite, I run out 5 miles. That way, I'm forced to return the rest of the distance under my own power. I would also plan a route with plenty of drinking fountains or carry your fluids in a hydration belt. At this distance, you are going to long to rely on your body's reserves.

4) Run a half marathon.
Distances of 1/2 to full marathons can be a destination weekend in itself. The list below provides a few.

Navy Half Marathon
Walt Disney World Marathon and Half Marathon
Marine Corps Half Marathon
Las Vegas Half Marathon
Black Hills Half Marathon
Norfolk Half Marathon
Achorage Marathon and Half Marathon
Pittsburg Half Marathon
Minneapolis Half Marathon
Memphis Marathon and Half Marathon

Monday, May 18, 2009

Running into the Wind

This is a personal choice. Do you run with the wind? Against the wind? Do you keep it to your side? For me it depends on the season.

During the winter months, I try to keep it to my side. That way I’m not fighting a big wind chill. During the summer months though, I like to finish in the wind. This may go against common sense. After all, you are normally not at peak performance at the end of your run. I like to do it for two reasons. Finishing in the wind while I’m at my weakness really drives home the workout. I also like it because it helps me stay cool. I run hot. There is no question about it. While training for a marathon, even at night, I am soaking wet when I finish. Running into the wind help provide a little bit of wind chill to help get rid of some heat.
Don’t be afraid of the wind.

Monday, May 11, 2009

The Century Workout

In every fitness routine, you will hit a plateau. A plateau is a stop in progress. You may be eating right and exercising right, but you measurement of progress has stopped. This measurement may be your weight, how fast you can run or how much you can lift. You need to get past the plateau. To do this, you need to try something different. Try this workout out.

The century workout should tell you that you are about to do something 100 times. Reduce your normal lift for each muscle group to 1/3 of what you have been doing. Now, try 1 set of 100 reps. It may seem like a waste of time for about 50 reps. It will become a muscle burner after that.

Doing this shocks your muscles because you are doing something completely different. This is how you can help push your way over the plateau.

Monday, May 4, 2009

How Much Have You Burned?

Right off the bat, I am not big on counting calories. For our people at sea, that would be a little difficult. I do look at the food labels when I'm at the grocery store. I'm interested in the servings, calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium, and protein. But I do not keep a log of my caloric intake. I do like to see how many I burn off though. Here is a tool from Runners World to help you estimate how much you have burned off.

http://www.runnersworld.com/cda/caloriecalculator/0,7153,s6-242-306-313-0-0-0-0-0,00.html

Remember, 3,500 calories = 1 lb of fat. This tool does not take into account intensity, elevation or topology. But it still serves a purpose. Are you burning enough on your cardio days?