Summer Goals (Walking)

Walking may not sound like a very aggressive sport, but for many, it can be a key ingredient into a fit life style. Although I encourage more strenuous activities, walking can have some great health benefits for those whom may not be able to exercise like an 18 year old. Walking will get you moving, which most of us only do on the way to the fridge or in a car. Start off walking around your neighborhood. Summer sun to hot, wake up earlier an go walking in the morning. Need motivation, walk with your spouse. The dog will love it to. IN the end, walking can help you to lose weight and have stronger bones and cardiovascular system.

Summer Goals (Cycling)

Cycling can be a great fitness and social activity. Many cities through the country have cycling lanes and trails. You do not need anything more than a helmet and a bike to enjoy this sport. I do recommend a few things though.

Cycling shorts:
These shorts come in introductory models (4 and 6 panels) and higher performance (8 panels). The number of panels is the number of different pieces of fabric used to conform to your body. The padding has very little to do with comfort. It is more for whisking away moisture.

Your seat:
Your seat will be your posterior will want the most investment. If you start going long, you will understand. Most of your body weight will be focused on a few square inches. Choose wisely.

Bike adjustment:
Take the time to have a cycling profession properly adjust your bike for your specific biometrics and the type of ridding you will do.

Where you ride and how far you go is entirely up to you. While driving over the Big Horm mountains of Wyoming, I came across a very large group of cyclists. Their goal was to go from Sheridan Wyoming to Lovell Wyoming on their bikes. All skill levels were represented on the 80 mile ride. The only problem for them was the 9,000 foot mountain range in their way. At the highest point on the road, you could hear the screams of success from each rider as they passed by.

What will be your success?

Summer Goals (Stair Climber)

One of my ways of keeping off the weight is the stair climber. The stair climber is lower impact then running, but it burns calories just as fast. The stair climber is not for everyone. If you have knee or loer back problems or trouble going up stairs, consult your doctor first.
When you use the stair climber, be prepared to sweet. When you get on the stair climber, it will ask you to select a program. You do not want to select manual. You want variation in your speed to receive the full benefits of the workout. You will be prompted for your weight. Be honest, no one is looking. You will then select an intensity level. Start at level 8. I usually use level 10-12. Next, you will select how many minutes you want to climb.

Start at 5 minutes at level 8. You may choose any program. This will be a slow climb. For each additional workout, add 1 minute. You decide on the intensity level and program. Once you get up to 20 minutes, you should be climbing around 100 floors (1,000 feet) and burning at least 300 calories.
Doing 20 minutes 2 times a week will allow you to burn off more the 2 lbs by the end of August. The after burn effect will allow you to continue to burn more calories while sitting at work.

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

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.

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.

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?