I hate cardio. Treadmills, EFX machines, and Steppers are torture machines to me. Give me a dumbbell and let me lift it up and put it down. But, a well rounded, fit individual must incorporate cardio, resistance training, flexibility and balance into their workout. So how did I, a cardiovascular exercise hater, find a way to actually like running? It didn't happen overnight. And it certainly isn't the case every time I run. But I did find a way that I could run and enjoy it.
It all began with a group of women I spent a fun weekend with at Disney. We participated in the Everest Challenge. Now that was a fun race! You run a 5k (3.12 miles), meet up with your race partner and run through an obstacle course. After that, you and your race partner take a booklet full of clues into Animal Kingdom and try to solve the riddles. After the race, in the car, this girl (who was on a post race high, completely excited and pumped and forgetting about how much she hates running) says, "Let's do the Princess Half Marathon! It'll be fun! We can train together and spend the weekend together again! Yes! It'll be GREAT!!!" You should have seen their faces. Maybe I should have paid better attention to them. Alas, we decided to do it.
And so began six months of training. How do you train for a half marathon? You run. First, I made a goal. My goal was to complete the Half Marathon and to run the entire course. Next, I researched some training methods and designed my schedule. I choose to use my two Spin classes during the week and one long run on the weekends as my training. I started out running three miles. From there, I added 10% of distance once I was able completely run a distance.
Since running was not my first choice for working out, I had to find things to make running bearable. I ran with my friends who had committed to doing the race and I found that I did better when I ran with someone. They gave me the motivation to keep pushing when I wanted to stop. I also quickly figured out why iPods were so popular. I need music. Motivating music that gives me something to focus on besides the pounding of my feet and my heavy breathing.
Every weekend I ran. Most weekends I ran farther than the time before. And every time I increased that 10%, I felt successful. Then, one day, I reached 8 miles. I thought I would never be able to run that far. It was a turning point. I suddenly looked forward to running and getting better. By being disciplined and committed to my goal, I had created a positive for myself....pride. I was proud that I was able to accomplish something that I had always thought was impossible. I was able to do something that I once hated, and I got better at it!
I trained well for the 2010 Princess Half Marathon. I ran the entire race and I finished with a time of 2 hours and 15 minutes. I learned that through realistic goal setting, a solid training program, and the motivation of competition, I could do anything....even if it was something I once hated.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Tell Me What To Eat
I get asked this all the time, "Will you tell me what to eat?" Yes, I will tell you what to eat, but the truth is, you don't want to hear it. You are going to crinkle your face, and tell me you don't like "that", or you can't do it because you have a spouse/kids/dog/broken microwave...blah, blah, blah. You want me to say you can eat whatever you want! And you can drink wine very night! And fast food won't make you fat! And you just have to drink this potion and take this magic pill and you will be skinny/fit/beautiful!!!!
Yes, well, I'm not going to tell you that. Here's the truth. You have to eat fresh fruits and vegetables every day. Your meat must be lean (chicken and fish mostly with lean red meats occasionally.) You need healthy fats, like olives, olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds, and soy products. You need good sources of protein like eggs and beans.
You cannot have cheese, butter, sugar, alcohol and fast food on a regular basis.
A sample day might look a little bit like this:
Breakfast: 2 egg whites, 1 egg, 1/2 cup oatmeal, piece of fruit
Snack: a piece of fruit and one ounce of nuts
Lunch: Big salad, 4 oz. of chicken grilled, 1/3 cup of brown rice
Snack: 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese and a piece of fruit
Dinner: Baked fish and veggies, veggies, veggies
The truth about what to eat is pretty simple. Let it be something that comes from the earth (not out of a package) that you prepare lovingly in your home (without piling on fat and sugar and sodium.) Eat clean, feel better.
*Please remember to speak to your Doctor about nutritional needs. What I listed is a SIMPLE guideline. There are many other aspects to consider.
Yes, well, I'm not going to tell you that. Here's the truth. You have to eat fresh fruits and vegetables every day. Your meat must be lean (chicken and fish mostly with lean red meats occasionally.) You need healthy fats, like olives, olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds, and soy products. You need good sources of protein like eggs and beans.
You cannot have cheese, butter, sugar, alcohol and fast food on a regular basis.
A sample day might look a little bit like this:
Breakfast: 2 egg whites, 1 egg, 1/2 cup oatmeal, piece of fruit
Snack: a piece of fruit and one ounce of nuts
Lunch: Big salad, 4 oz. of chicken grilled, 1/3 cup of brown rice
Snack: 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese and a piece of fruit
Dinner: Baked fish and veggies, veggies, veggies
The truth about what to eat is pretty simple. Let it be something that comes from the earth (not out of a package) that you prepare lovingly in your home (without piling on fat and sugar and sodium.) Eat clean, feel better.
*Please remember to speak to your Doctor about nutritional needs. What I listed is a SIMPLE guideline. There are many other aspects to consider.
Monday, January 16, 2012
One pound is hard to lose!
One pound. Have you ever stopped to think about it? One pound is equal to 3500 calories. Want to lose one pound? You have to somehow have a negative of 3500 calories in your "calories spent" tank. Losing one pound in a week should be easy, right? Sure! Just cut out 500 calories from your diet. Every day. For a week. Then keep it up to keep it off.
Now let me take you into the science and mathematics of losing one pound. First, you need to know your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), the number of calories your body burns just living, breathing, functioning. Go to http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ and plug in your numbers to get yours. My BMR is 1360. That means, in order to maintain my current weight, I must eat 1360 calories. If I want to lose weight, I need to eat less than that. Our lowest amount of calories we should consume are 1200 calories in a day. In reality, I should only cut my calories down 160 a day for weight loss. If I were to just cut calories at 160 per day, it would take me 22 days to lose ONE POUND. I could speed that weight loss up by adding exercise. If I was trying to lose that one pound in one weeks time, that would mean I would need to burn an extra 340 calories a day. For me, that's about a 3.5 mile run at a 10 minute per mile pace for a total of 35 minutes. Oh, and don't forget that I must only be consuming 1200 calories. If I go over 1200 calories, I have to workout even more! If I cheat and have a Grande White Chocolate Mocha Non-Fat No Whip for 350 calories, that's an extra 35 minutes of running for me.
Figure out your BMR and know that number by heart. Then, keep a food diary for a few days to see what your caloric intake is. From there, you can figure out what you need to do in order to lose, gain, or maintain your weight.
Now let me take you into the science and mathematics of losing one pound. First, you need to know your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), the number of calories your body burns just living, breathing, functioning. Go to http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ and plug in your numbers to get yours. My BMR is 1360. That means, in order to maintain my current weight, I must eat 1360 calories. If I want to lose weight, I need to eat less than that. Our lowest amount of calories we should consume are 1200 calories in a day. In reality, I should only cut my calories down 160 a day for weight loss. If I were to just cut calories at 160 per day, it would take me 22 days to lose ONE POUND. I could speed that weight loss up by adding exercise. If I was trying to lose that one pound in one weeks time, that would mean I would need to burn an extra 340 calories a day. For me, that's about a 3.5 mile run at a 10 minute per mile pace for a total of 35 minutes. Oh, and don't forget that I must only be consuming 1200 calories. If I go over 1200 calories, I have to workout even more! If I cheat and have a Grande White Chocolate Mocha Non-Fat No Whip for 350 calories, that's an extra 35 minutes of running for me.
Figure out your BMR and know that number by heart. Then, keep a food diary for a few days to see what your caloric intake is. From there, you can figure out what you need to do in order to lose, gain, or maintain your weight.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Welcome to The Training Toole's blog! I decided that I needed to start blogging to share some of the many encounters I have with people trying to change their lives. Every day I train people and try to help them reach their health and fitness goals. It's a project for all of us. My clients have to find the time to workout, the motivation to continue, and the determination to push through the uncomfortable. I learn something new every day! I see and hear some funny things. And together, we figure out just how to make this whole thing work. I hope to share something that can help others. Because the truth is, we can't do this alone.
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