sunnydayfitness

2011 Highlights

2011-12-30T17:22:00.000-08:00

Mug shot in the Nordic style of woodcarving from Wisconsin

Mid-summer rain Hiking in North Carolina

I had a busy summer. I read several good books on training, attended a conference and numerous workshops on Functional Training. I kept clients busy with workouts between my weekend trips and longer family vacations. I went to Missouri, Wisconsin, and North Carolina this year leaving only Oklahoma for next year when it's 20 year high-school reunion time!

Racing and training with Wheelworks Multisport went well. I even won my division at the Quassy Rev3 race (photos link) in Connecticut and at the Whaling City race in New Bedford, but still, nothing motivated me to write articles.

Then in July August, and September my trips to see family travels and to race in several new triathlons (USAT Age Group Nationals in Burlington, VT and the Pumpkinman Half-Ironman in southern Maine) kept me running strong with my fastest paces ever in triathlon and juggling clients around my travel times.

Healthy good veggies from home

Food continued to be a minor and fun obsession over the summer. Fresh veggies from our Red Fire Farm CSA share filled us with kale and summer squash. These were once again my staples for Paleo-influenced eating as whole veg, low grain eating became more my norm. I ditched a lot of sugar and refined grains except when mandated by homemade holiday celebration treats including fine pastry and sometimes, yes, homemade toffee. There were also a few take-out treats like this meringue cookie found after seeing the Boston Ballet's Nutcracker.

Snowman that doesn't melt...he's meringue!

I barely spent any time on the computer with blogging. August had me strong with group workouts and a good, lean body fat percent, but still nothing to write about. Waiting for inspiration to strike, I left blogging and followed twitter feeds on exercise and health more closely. I also joined the Google+ social networking site but still found it dull compared to Facebook. Breaking news on exercise science and the latest tips to motivate healthier lifestyles didn't turn my head for long. I tweeted and I waited for dialog or feedback of any kind, not just the ego-stoking retweets, but it all felt moot. There was so much more summer to enjoy -- so I went to the river and took up rowing!

Sculling Level 1 class was a good time!

Single person rowing, or sculling, became a minor obsession in my Tues/Thurs adult lessons at Community Rowing Inc How I wish I'd discovered crew and ERG'ing while back at UC Berkeley and living in the Bay Area, California, not Massachusetts. It could have been pretty great to row back then as I'm learning it a little late now. At least I'm eating well and healthier than ever even if my local access to produce isn't quite as bountiful.

A beautifully balanced salmon salad eaten in SF, CA in Dec 2011

Finally in late October fall really did arrive and I got very busy again with clients. My hours with SunnyDayFitness clients (~5 per week) and Healthworks clients (~25 per week) took over my planning and marketing time. I was all about the hustle this fall, and now I feel a little sad for it. How could I let my writing go for so long without notice? Who did I disappoint by not sharing more ideas more often? Anyone? No one? I won't really know, but I do know that I feel bad that I missed those months and wrote so little.

So maybe you fell behind on something, too? Could 2012 be your year to step back into stride with that lost passion for exercise? Maybe returning to the old exercise habits won't do this time around? Let me know if you are looking for something new, OK? We just might find it together in 2012. Get in touch if I can help or comment on "What you missed in 2011 and want to find in the new year".

Peaceful and Happy Holidays

50th post and Hooray, it's May!

2011-05-24T08:08:00.000-07:00

"How's it going with your trainings?" Business has been good and steady. I'm proud of what I started here, and I want to make my clients proud of themselves for participating. Spring started at a good tempo and I'm finally making room for more clients again. I'm training 25-30 clients each week, mostly in hourly sessions at the gym. Several new clients are taking it outside, especially now that the weather has improved (finally!).

See that complimentary session gift on my business card? Well, now you can use it outside in a Bootcamp!

The SunnyDayFitness Bootcamp series starts June 1 for Wednesdays at 6:30am on June 1, June 15, and June 29. Meeting at Danehy Park and Champions Track in North Cambridge (map link), we will dust off the old cobwebs and shine with my outdoor *rain or shine* group fitness Bootcamp. Sign-up by e-mailing me at sunny@sunnydayfitness.com or just show-up with $20 per workout.

A high quality nutritional choice

Low quality nutrition

Speaking of Champions... Bootcampers will be given a few nutritional challenges. Real champions need to eat better foods than cereal, pizza, and peanuts. We will endeavor together to clean up our diets and fuel our bodies with what we *know* we should be eating. Each Bootcamp participant will take a weekly diet challenge during the 2 weeks between sessions and will report back. Are you ready to get fitter and eat healthier? You'd better be on board! Wednesdays at Danehy, 6:30am in June.

Healthworks Happenings

2011-03-05T15:34:00.000-08:00

It's March already. How did this happen? I can honestly say that my busy-ness at the gym has hit new highs. While still serving my SunnyDayFitness clients on their territory, I worked many long days and nights with new gym joiners in this new year 2011 at Healthworks Fitness for Women. So many people are now training with me for weight loss and in small groups, it's wonderful!

Although January was epic and February was full, I still gave time away to do what I love: teaching folks how to do new things like

Indoor Rowing

This lady loves taking a break from rowing

Kettlebell Swinging

She needs a bigger bell to swing, for serious, really.

and Making Better Nutritional Choices.

Me at Tulsa's QT trying "boston baked beans" and a slushy drink.
Not really your best choices for convenience store eating...sorry!

Here in March I am actively seeking other venues to teach. Do you have a community center, a church, or a tennis club where I could share a class like "Restore the Core" to post-natal moms? Or a senior center with people who'd want to know about "Building Bones with Weight Bearing exercise" to prevent osteoporosis?

Please think of me and SunnyDayFitness for your fitness teaching and athletic coaching needs. I offer a complimentary in-home training or consultation to all new clients and a free training session to you if you refer me to someone who does become a client. It's nearly time to run and play outside again, but will your body (or your mom's or your sister's or your grandma's) be ready for that next sunny day...?

Getting older, Not fatter

2010-12-10T16:10:00.000-08:00

Getting older gracefully is something many aspire to do. Some people, however, want more than that. Flying into our 90s is the dream... right? Look at Olga up there -- she's flying!! She wants to age with speed, agility, and athletic achievements in age-group competitions. But getting to the top of "masters" divisions or the "senior games" isn't as easy as it used to be for the Olgas of the world.

Nowdays instead of ever-shrinking 65-70 and 75-80 year old competition brackets, they're growing... more about that in a future article But first, the bad news remains: we lose 10% of our lean muscle every decade. Only strength training and regular exercise can prevent muscle loss. Left unchecked, the lost muscle is replaced with fat.

So for a woman who starts out in her 20s or 30s with a relatively healthy 80% lean, 20% fat body she'll enter her 40s with a 70% lean, 30% fat even IF her weight stays the same. Her sizes will go up ever so slightly and it may "not matter much" at first, but there are consequences:

Everything feels pudgy. Energy levels drop. Life gets harder.

People already in their 40s and 50s folks know that losing weight gets harder as we age, and why is that? It's because the metabolic engine that is our lean muscle mass is getting eaten away. Like termites gnawing away at wood, fat creeps in to replace our muscle as our own bodies only naturally conserve and build strength in youth but atrophy with age.

Hormones have a role in this process, no doubt, but rather than hitting the needles and popping pills... why not use the muscle you have to conserve the metabolism you need to age gracefully and healthfully.

As reported by the NY Times, there is inspiration to be found in the 80-year olds who stay fit with good, old-fashioned work. Consistency is the key. And researchers learning more about aging every year:

Some researchers now see aging itself as a kind of mitochondrial disease. Defective mitochondria appear as we get older, and these researchers say that they rob us of endurance, strength and function. There’s evidence that for young patients with mitochondrial disease, exercise is a potent tool, slowing the symptoms. If that’s true, then exercise could also potentially be a kind of elixir of youth, combating the ravages of aging far more than we thought.

Sunny and SunnyDayFitness training sessions can help you, Olga, or anyone interested in aging gracefully. Why don't you e-mail Sunny for a complimentary session today?

Abs Diet advice

2010-11-26T18:59:00.000-08:00

An old friend from Tulsa who got in touch with me via Facebook this summer. She asked for advice on dieting and exercising to lose 30 pounds over the course of a year. Now that we've just had Thanksgiving, I'm going to check-in and ask how she's doing so far.

I have helped people like her before, but in person, and not via e-mail or Facebook. This kind of distance coaching isn't my intended direction for fitness coaching, but I did want to help this friend, so I replied:

Dear Friend,

Sorry I've not responded to your note yet. I'm juggling a lot of private and gym clients right now, plus mid-summer vacations. Yes, life is good even if busy. :-) I wish I could afford more time for e-mails to friends, but facebook updates are about all I can do right now.

Anyway, about these 30, I think you've got the right idea to take some time with it. Make it a steady effort for 3 weeks at a time, taking a shorter-term view of progress rather than getting lost in the big picture. It's easy to see 10lbs x3 as more attainable than all 30 at a go. Weight loss is a struggle of inches as well as pounds. Start with some good basic measurements to see progress in more than just your "skinny jeans" fit.

Now for the specifics: I doubt that there's a lot of dietary expertise that I could bring to your situation without asking for food logs and making detailed shopping lists for you. I do know that everything I've experienced and read says that more protein, more veggies, and more water helps. Similarly, you want less processed (boxed, wrapped, shelved) foods, less alcohol/sugar, and less eating overall (portion control) to help keep excess calories out. Eat more veggies, fruits, berries, and grains is my first tip.

Basically, You'll need to eat healthy, less refined, raw or natural "ABS DIET" power foods as much as possible. Check out the list if you haven't already seen it. About 80% of foods for most athlete's and weight loss diets will come from it. My one allowance for boxed breakfast is raisin bran or old-fashioned 3-5 lb. round cannister of quaker oats, no packets. To prepare, just add water or milk until some of the oats float and microwave for 2-3 mins.

I don't know if dairy or eggs work for you, but both are excellent proteins if you skip the full-fat milks/cheeses or yolks. Even on a budget, a gallon of skim milk and a doz eggs should be affordable protein sources. Hardboiled eggs are super-portable too and easy to prepare with 10mins boiling water.

Canned tuna and chicken roasted or baked and cooked in bulk can provide great sandwich material, and making them yourself will save you a lot of cals and cost. I know saving money is important to you, and I encourage practicing the disciplines of cooking your own meals and packing your food to-go with you as much as possible. Carry water with you everywhere and spend nothing on beverages except your emergen-C packets. Good stuff!

Basically, I think you already know the answers. Eat good stuff, and not too much of it. Move more and preserve muscles by keeping protein intake high, but natural. The rest is a matter of budgeting in the time and effort to stay focused and in control of how/when/how much you eat. Not to be cryptic, but it's all within you. E-mail me @sunnydayfitness.com for more info and Let me know how you do, OK?

Take care, -Sunny

Revisiting the Bootcamp Venue - Danehy Track

2010-10-24T19:22:00.000-07:00

I missed my running buddies and bootcampers today. So I decided to run over to the Danehy Park and Track to "run a few loops" for them.

I used to ride on bootcamp mornings, but today I ran in an extra long-sleeve shirt since it was a little chilly. Of course, running there warmed me up enough that I left my extra shirt where I normally left my bike. I started on the hilly green, then made my way to the track itself.

Just today I saw it was named the "City of Cambridge Track of Champions". Wow, such a grand name -- and here I thought it was just a regular track for hacks and athletes, young and old alike.

I took a few loops at a comfortable RPE 7 of 10 pace and then did some warmup moves like leg swings and hip circles, a few hops, some skips, plus a little grapevine shuffle. The soccer players in all green at mid-field probably found it funny to see a lone runner doing all this.

I realized I should've included half track speed changes and some 1/4 track accelerations. I start at a 4 and then up it to a 6, and build to an 8 and finally 10. Those are really fun and make the soccer players think, "Maybe she can sprint after all..." I really enjoyed the run and miss the bootcamp days already!

Cookie-eating vs. Walking it off

2010-10-05T13:00:00.000-07:00

Sunny asked a few friends recently, "Are you Trading Your health for a “Treat”? The resounding answer was "I don't think so. I can eat dark chocolate every day because it's good for me and I'm so active.

While walking to burn a few extra calories is good, it's even better to limit the incoming cakes, cookies, etc. Did you know that even a tiny Tootsie Roll has 25 calories? And who eats only one...usually it's 3-4, so you'd need to do 10 minutes of power walking just to burn off that trip to the candy bowl.

What about a single dark chocolate cookie -- how much damage can that do? Well, the Nantucket cookie seen here has enough calories to sustain a 20 minute jog to and from the park! Can you really take that jog every time you hit the bag at the office meeting?

Pepperidge Farm® These cookies are American Classics

Nantucket™ Dark Chocolate Cookies

Nutrition Facts*
Amount per Serving (serving size) = 1 cookie

Calories 130	Sugars 8g
Total Fat 6g	Protein 1g

“It’s not the one cookie; it’s the one cookie you eat everyday” said my training client, Jess Grass. When I see that she's gaining back the weight she worked so hard to lose, then I know she's giving in to the sweet treats too often. You don't have to go sugar-free everyday, but she and many others should try it for just a single day or two and see how many calories we save.

I went sugar-free for 5 days in September and it was eye-opening. There's sugar hidden in so many foods! Ketchup, salad dressing, and simple breads, not even "sweet" breads. My boyfriend asked what I was doing and if I was somehow anti-sugar. “I’m in favor of sugar” he said, and three of his friends quickly agreed.

But if I can do without sugary treats, I will save a lot of the fall and winter excess from ever piling on. And that will keep me in summer-weight range and happier, longer than any Nantucket cookie can make me.

Inside the September 2010 Bootcamp series

2010-10-01T05:41:00.000-07:00

We met on Fridays and Mondays at Danehy Park in Cambridge, pre-dawn and before our "work days" began. Participants signed up via Facebook on the SunnyDayFitness.com page and got updates by personal e-mails also through Facebook.

Dave and Sierra were the first two on-board, and then Lisa joined us for the final 3 sessions. Their dedication and consistent turn-out, even after racing triathlon sprint distance races the day before always impressed me. Funny notes about wine and wishing for rain would come out the night before, but they always came through to bootcamp in the morning. Dedication.

Bootcampers -- Dave, Sierra, and Lisa -- ya'll are awesome.

Together we decided to brave the early, dark hour of 6am (remember, daylight fade and sunrise is delayed) for most weeks. However, by the last session of the month we had to push back to 6:30am to be able to see. Good thing we did, too, because some (silly, strange) male runners were out running the track *backwards*, clockwise in the pre-dawn hours. Collision before sunrise would not have been fun!

So, without further ado, here's what we did during our

Last Outdoor SDF.com Danehy Park Track Bootcamp 2010

Warmup:

Easy run (3-4 mins)

Monster Walk, Knee Circles, Hip Swings

Inchworms, Lunge Reaches and Twists

Agility: Timed Triangle Cone sprints and U-turns

Running:

Form review then 3 laps building speed, 2 laps slowing speed

Easy-Med-Hard-Med-Easy

Strength:

Pushups, Lunge Switches, Bicycle Crunches – no equip

Plank Marches, Squat Hops, High Reaches to Toes – timed, no equip

All of this in under an hour! The most fun was our giggle fest during the U-turn drills as we tried our morning "coordination" in quick direction shifts, similar to a hop-step dance move around a soccer cone. No one was laughing after the hard running laps that followed, or during the Strength portion that ended our session. But a good time was had by all, start to finish. What do you think? Could you enjoy it? Try it!

6 Tips for Clean Eating

2010-09-30T19:58:00.000-07:00

Getting cleaner foods into your body will help you get leaner and healthier.

Where to begin? Start with these tips:

Red Fire Farm carrots really do taste amazing!

Shop the perimeter of the store – skip the aisles of packaged, canned, and processed foods. Whole nuts, oats, and brown rice are a few exceptions. You can only eat what you buy, and if you shop for clean foods from the start, you'll make clean eating possible and easier then saying "no" to other junk.
Freezer friendly finds – try new vegetarian burgers, fish/shrimp, steamer bagged veggies, and ripe frozen berries. Skip the freezer entrees, Haagen-Dazs and fast-food knock-offs like freezer fries. And try my favorite freezer veggie: soybeans in the shell, or edamame.
Join a CSA or shop the farmers markets – prepare to spend a little more on local organic foods to eat truly clean. Cook and appreciate kale, spinach, and raw gems like real, earthy-sweet carrots. A great Boston based CSA is Red Fire Farm and www.localharvest.org will help you find other CSAs.
Clean those fruits and veggies – take 10 minutes after shopping to rinse, chop, and make-ready your veggies. Drop them into plastic boxes or baggies and leave them on the top shelves of your fridge. Then in a hurry you can just pop them into your bag for easy snacks. Or just streamline the evening meal prep by having it all ready to cook or eat raw.
Focus on whole grains and short ingredient lists – foods that are best for you will have fewer than 10 ingredients and all they won’t read like a chemistry book. Even CLIF bars have 20+ ingredients. Why not try to make your own? If you can’t pronounce an ingredient, or your grandmother had never heard of it, then you probably shouldn’t be eating it.
Alcohol and sweets really should be treats – and not every day is a “special day”. Think of your diet as the building block of your healthy life, and ask “what would an athlete eat before competing?” and if they wouldn’t eat it or drink it, then why should you. After all, you are planning to workout hard tomorrow, right? Another great post-race meal may be waiting for you...

Lobsterman Triathlon post-race healthy feast

Barefoot run and Bootcamp at Tufts

2010-05-29T20:50:00.000-07:00

I've read a lot about running stride efficiency, running light and easy. ChiRunning was my "best running book of 2008" and it made sense: running should feel easy and enjoyable. Enter the recent trend in exploring barefoot running ...

More recently, I've seen dozens of articles about how barefoot is the best way to learn mid-foot striking. Apparently most running shoe critics feel that a stacked heel both A. encourages and B. sets up the runner for a heel strike. This heel-to-toe roll is what most people are "taught" about how to run, but it's not how we first run when barefoot and free. Kids don't have to learn how to run. They run naturally with a mid-foot stride until running shoes make the teen/adult runner strike heels and land with more of a back-to-front foot rolling action.

So, why not return to basic, barefoot running? The mid-foot stride can be relearned and the glass/rock/surface hazards of pavement can be avoided. Advocates of barefoot running say that relearning how to run without shoes will make many of us run better, farther, or with less injury. Who wouldn't want to do that? Sign me up.

I decided last week to take that curiosity about barefoot running to the Tufts U track surface. Safer than streets, no glass or rocks, so no pain, right? Wrong! Every step felt like running on a sandpaper covered Mars. I jogged the first lap easy, second lap a little faster, and the third at a regular (to me) running pace. Getting used to the surface was not easy, but it felt GOOD! The orange-ish red composite felt very warm, springy, and yet still rough under my feet. It stung just a little on the push-off from each step to the next, but I thought nothing of it.

Wanting to continue running, but knowing I shouldn't "over do it" on the track, I entered the grassy middle of the track and started doing sprints to mid-field and then running the full length of the field. These were super-fun! Each field-dash took about 28 seconds, and felt good again. After a few of these, I sat and rested my grassy feet by raising them to the sky. When it seemed that my friend and trainee, Wendy, would arrive any minute, I set out the bootcamp equipment and got ready for her session.

We did have a great workout there in the sun. The theme of the day was functional strength with lots of body weight drills. Among the drills: walking lunges, twist lunge steps, curtsy lunge hop ups, and the evil, horribly difficult walking push-up planks for the full length of the end zone (~80 ft). Lordy, those were tough and we had to break the push-ups into two sets just to get through them all. But Wendy was a champ and completed the set!

More workouts like this are coming soon. I just have to let the blister on my toe heal before trying the barefoot run again. If you'd like to join us, here's a teaser video for next week's kick-off to June session. Read about it here in the May Newsletter or below:

Afternoon BOOTCAMP (May 27 and Thursdays in June)

6-week series starts May 27th, this week — Tufts Track on Thursdays at 3pm. Perfect for teachers and people with flexible schedules in Somerville, Medford, and Cambridge. This is small group training at its best — challenging and highly-personalized fitness training for anyone who is eager to get into top shape.

Pricing for 2, 4, or all 6 weeks of the series is affordable at 2 for $60 , 4 for $100, and all 6 for $120! Personal training sessions with SunnyDayFitness are normally $60 each, so this is a great deal for a group of 4 or more — join with a friend and you’ll save even more!

P.S. Morning bootcamps coming soon...become our Fan on Facebook today for more info.

Tuesday's ritual -- Mystic Marauders

2010-05-25T06:45:00.000-07:00

5:20am and my phone chimes to wake me. I strip down and dress into the clothes I'd laid out last night: swimsuit first, then cycling shorts and top. I use the bathroom and quickly brush teeth before heading down to bike over to the Wheelworks shop near Davis Sq.

5:45am and six of my teammates greet me. All carry their backpack or string-sacks stuff to the brim: wetsuit, towel, and cap with goggles folded in and secured for the ride. We head out for a 13-mile ride out of the city and into hills around the golf course at the Winchester Country Club.

The workout seems to run like clock-work and we arrive at Sandy Beach for our swim. Yes, it's early still, but the weather is already warming up. (One friend Beren noted on FB: I prefer cold - you can always put on another sweater to get warm, but if you're nekkid and still too hot yer outta options. =) ). That's so true! And that's why I like to workout early in the summers -- Beat the heat, take a swim.

I look and see that the swim ropes are up and the beach has been combed by park staff, removing most of the leaves and debris from last fall and recent gully washers. It's lovely and yet dotted with pollen and living 'stuff' -- green and gooey, alive and kicking (or rather, swimming). I spot some goose poop (yes, the Canadians are back) and decide to place my flip-flops a few feet farther away at the water's edge.

Then we swim. Two by two we buddy up and head out for the first buoy. We get back to the beach about 25 minutes later and start to peel off the wetsuits. Unlike the photo below, which was taken on a much colder day after a swim in much colder water, today's weather was perfect: 65-70F and bright. More smiles than shivers!

Following the swim, we gab about summer racing plans and don our gear for the ride home, stuffing the wet wetsuits back into our packs. It's wonderful to hear how everyone enjoyed the water, felt good on the hills, and keeps learning from the others. (My friend Dave said that Sierra was giving him training tips on timing his breathing while swimming, and that's exactly why we train together. We keep each other safe and help each other out, each striving to improve a little each time. This is why and how training groups work!) We also keep each other safe through numerous stop lights as we make our way back to Davis Sq, now in the heavy morning traffic.

7:30am and I arrive by bike over to a client's house -- I've been training her for a little over a year. She knows I'll arrive a little water logged, but she's ready to train hard in her bi-weekly Tues AM session. So I take her through new back/ab strengthening moves on her Swiss ball, have her try out a few balancing and hip lifting moves on the ball (Knee Tucks and Diver's Pikes) and then get out the resistance bands. Imagine this move in someone's living room... we did that!

We did a lot more, too. From the easy crunches and plank holds to the complex Turkish get-up's, we got through her whole body routine in 55 minutes. And my work is done for now, it's 9am and I'm back home for breakfast. Whew!

Here's a tip: Get your workout done early. Beat the heat, break a sweat, and then get food.

Most bodies love to run a little on empty before topping off the tank. Enjoy the clean burn of an early workout!

That's my typical Tuesday morning...and it just gets better from there.

Spring Smoothies

2010-04-08T06:56:00.000-07:00

Few food options rival the smoothie for simplicity (no cooking, no chewing), deliciousness (fruit, ice cream), and versatility (it's a meal, snack, or dessert). Indeed, it’s as close to a perfect meal as you can get. The only problem: Duplicating juice-bar results at home. Try some of these nutrient-packed smoothie ingredients that will juice your brain, build muscle, burn fat, and strengthen your heart in less than a minute. Just throw them in a blender, hit liquefy, and start slurping. It’s that simple.

And for even more great ideas, check out TheMen’s Health Smoothie Selector online,

Raspberries

High in antioxidants, and bursting with fiber, manganese, and vitamin C, these berries will keep your heart and brain in top shape.

Mango

With abundant Vitamins A and C, mangoes also add a healthy dose of beta-carotene, which helps prevent cancer and promotes healthy skin.

Orange and Citrus fruits

OJ has vitamin C, and pineapples contain bromelain, a cancer-inhibiting, inflammation-reducing enzyme. These all make citrus fruits golden and great ingredients for your smoothie!

Dairy delights and Protein punches -- Milk or Whey

Then add, either Milk, Water, or that devilish combo of the latter two, Whey protein! 1% Milk has calcium, protein, added vitamins and almost none of the fat. Whey protein has essential amino acids help pack on the muscle—making whey the best friend of athletes and gym rats alike.

For more smoothie ideas and nutritional info, search for your favorite smoothie ingredients or see the smoothie selector tool (with over 30 recipes!) brought to you by Rodale/Men's Health Magazine: http://www.menshealth.com/smoothies/

2010-01-23T18:39:00.001-08:00

on a short holiday at Cape Cod, which is quiet and serene in the wintertime.

October...now December, and 60F?

2009-12-03T07:33:00.000-08:00

Welcome to weirdly warm winter weather. For those not following on Facebook, I wanted to let you know what SunnyDayFitness has been doing this fall. I have been trying a new workout location and training venue every other Saturday this fall -- Stadium Stairs at Harvard U. Banners in red along the top edge cite all of Harvard's Ivy League and National titles in football. The field is radiant green field turf with "CRIMSON" blazing in the end zones. It feels like the place should be protected and locked when not in use on game days, but it's always open.

It's quite a simple meet-up and workout, really. Just start walking (or running) up the stairs in each section 1-37. The stadium is rather old and the stairs are tall. Without too many breaks the stadium can be completed in about 40 minutes. But most first-timers are happy to get only half way around the horseshoe of sections before the trembling calves and quads start firing.

We went on Oct 10, 24, and Nov 7, 21. and now it's time for December 5th, Saturday, 11am. Join us if you can stomach the shift to colder weather! See the facebook page for more info

Small meals and Your appetite

2009-08-15T08:06:00.000-07:00

Appetite tells us when to eat, and when working well, how much to eat or when to stop. It works well when we eat natural, filling foods at a slow and measured pace. But it doesn't work so well when processed and calorie-dense foods rather than nutrient-dense foods take center stage. Given today's culture and conveniences, in just 10 minutes you could scarf down a variety of foods to satisfy hunger. For example, it's easy to feel full after eating two whole carrots (150 calories) or you could get a similar satisfaction from eating a jumbo-sized box of fries (1,150 calories). Either way, the appetite is satisfied but with a very different calorie and nutrient content.

Meal timing also plays into appetite. Eariler and frequent smaller meals are easier for the body to use as fuel during exercise. It makes sense for most people dieting to lose a weight to 25% of their daily calories in a larger breakfast. This controls appetite and reduces hunger throughout the day, resulting in lower overall calorie intake. Meals every 3-4 hours will also require more energy to digest than the traditional 3 meals per day format. There is also evidence from weight loss studies that suggests that people usually eat less overall when they eat often, so it's a win-win.

Finally, developing a healthy appetite using frequent, small meals should be easy and appetizing. Consider a few high-nutrient, very satisfying appetizers. This list of 5 foods have at least two high-satiety foods that can fill you up on healthy combinations. Eat one about 10 minutes before your next meal to fill up early, or have 2-3 as a meal combination for fullness. These recipes were recetnly published in Triathlete Magazine (See triathletemag.com article by M. Fitzgerald from May 2009).

These all come it at about 150 calories. Try a few!

Spinach & Avocado/Tomato Salad

1 cup Spinach + 1/4 cup Avo's and Tomat's

with 1 tsp olive oil dressing

Crackers & Low-Fat Cheese

4 whole wheat crackers + 1 oz. cheese

Lentil Soup

1 cup as prepared by Amy's Organics or homemade

Asparagus & Almonds

4 spears steamed + 1/8 Almond slivers and Parm Cheese

Baked Fries with Rosemary

1/2 cup of potato slices baked at 450F for 30 mins

with olive oil spray and rosemary and S&P before baking

Falmouth, Cape Cod Weekend

2009-08-12T20:51:00.000-07:00

Getting outdoors is great fun, especially with fit, fun friends. When friends Pauline and Ulandt asked if we -- my boyfriend Matthew and best friend Terry and I -- wanted to join them on Cape Cod, I asked "what should we bring?". Bikes, running shoes, googles and wetsuit, or all of the above!

Weekend activities on land and sea:

1 mile ocean swim, sans wetsuit -- yes the water was cool but warm enough!
1 hour paddle on a duet kayak into the bay near Green Pond
Coastal area bicycling with Matthew and even Terry too (yes!)
7-mile run along inlets and bays with Ulandt and Matthew
another 1+mile ocean swim, this time with a wetsuit and with another triathlete guy
a final long ride 35+ miles bicycling back to Plymouth for the Commuter Rail

More about the weekend in a personal blog posting here.

Mid-day quick meal

2009-08-10T19:35:00.000-07:00

It's all too common to rush through lunch. I used to do it while I was a scientific consultant; I still do it now as a trainer. Sometimes clients keep me too busy at the gym, and a quick 45 minutes at home is all I have to prep, eat, and dash back to the next client.

Summer is a prime time for veggie-based lunches. Today lunch was heavy on the zucchini and light on the bread. I used cottage cheese and deli turkey as my primary protein sources because that's just what I was in the mood for. The simple sandwich was about the same size as the bowl of microwave-steamed zukes/tomatoes/parsley/parm. In total this was about a 600 calorie lunch. Some of the chilled extra veggies later made a nice afternoon snack.

Eating on the patio is a great way to enjoy healthy food in the summer!

Swimming is 300% more efficient for elites...why?

2009-07-30T06:30:00.000-07:00

I've read a lot about swimming and referred my triathlete friends and training clients to writings and videos by Terry Laughlin, an excellent nationally-known swim coach. His program called Total Immersion has given me the most insights on how swimming can become more effiecient, less effort-full. The drills I've learned from his videos have helped me develop a better streamlined and more comfortable swim stroke and breathing pattern.

In short, I think Terry is great, and naturally, I was disappointed to not be in town for his visit to Cambridge/MIT last spring. He explained how recreational swimmers can try to bridge the gap between their inefficient strokes and wasted effort to swim more like the highly efficient elites: the Phelps and Coughlins of the world.

Thankfully, however, friends of mine at BeginnerTriathlete.com took a video of Terry's talk swimming efficiency talk (http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=1792) at the Multisport World Expo. Several key points from his video:

Comparing the performance efficiency of Land vs. Water athletes shows the propulsion vs. streamling differnce. Swimmers compare really poorly! Elites are 300% more efficient in their propulsion than recreational swimmers. No wonder Natalie Coughlin and Michael Phelps swim so much faster than me!
By comparison, Land athletes (e.g. runners) have the propulsion efficiency difference of elites vs. recreational at only 20%. Runners don't get much faster by improving their aerodynamics, right? Running faster simply requires a bigger "fitness engine" -- muscles, lungs, aerobic capacity, etc. Take home lesson: in swimming, hydrodynamics are everything!
Cooperate with the water, don't fight it. Practice easy and relaxed swimming. Legs should draft behind the body, not kick wide. The fuselage is your body and it must be steamlined. Fewer bubbles with clean entries and less fighting through the water is better. This is accomplished by rotating your body weight and pulling your body over the water rather than dragging it through the water.
Synchronizing the hip twist and small opposite-foot kick is critical to good rotation and power. You can see a really good video demo of this by Terry on YouTube. Water is a dense medium -- 1,000x more dense than air -- so you can NOT just muscle through it. Swimmers must streamline their bodies from tip to toe. This will lead to efficient strokes, fewer strokes per lap, and easier swimming.

His talk is worth hearing (esp. part 2 which I linked to above, saving you the personal stories of high-school swimming that Terry shares in part 1. If you want to read more about stroke efficiency, tips for "Kaisen" (continuous improvement), and how swimming differs from running then click on those terms for additional articles by Terry at the BT.com website. All are excellent, recommended reading for swimmers!

Connect to SunnyDayFitness via Facebook Fans

2009-07-12T20:13:00.000-07:00

SunnyDayFitness.com is now on Facebook, and you can follow us there as a Fan of the SunnyDayFitness page.

Joining the Fan Page will provide: updates in your Facebook Inbox about upcoming special events, bootcamp trainings, and much more from your favorite social networking tool, Facebook.

Sunny's Top 5 Nutritional Tips

2009-07-12T19:20:00.000-07:00

I check labels and make informed choices about what and when I eat. But nobody's perfect, and sometimes I slip up ... a lot. See my Saturday log and how bad it got? I used to log my diet daily, even hourly to see what my hunger triggers and relievers are. Now I think a little longer term and have come up with 5 tips for better nutrition.

Here are my top 5 tips to drop 5 pounds with fewer calories and minimal hunger:

Drink water. 2 liters daily, at a minimum. Start with a tall glass 12oz before every meal and another glass with snacks. Add more water by drinking every 5-10 minutes while working out whether with cardio or with strength. Yes, you'll pee more but you'll also feel full more quickly and feel hunger less often.
Get green. Rethink snacks and look for veggie options like cucumbers with s&p or mustard, leafy green salads, steamed broccoli with a sprtiz of lemon. These are not on the shelves at CVS or Shaw's so you'll need to use pre-pack your snacks. Invest in ziploc baggies which microwave easily and small plastic boxes that won't leak.
Grains keep giving. Complex carbohydrates are slow burners that are perfect workout fuel. Whole grain bread and barley or whole grain couscous salads will leave you full for hours, especially if eaten with a tall glass of water. The darker, chewier, and less processed grains are best. Try cooking a new/old grain like quinoa today!
Nix sugary snacks. Fruity yogurt, begone! Unless you add the blueberries yourself, you're getting more corn syrup and sugar than goodness from fruit-included yogurts. And check the labels on so-called diet or nutritional bars also. Rice and cane syurp are common additives that only add quick-burn sugar to your diet. Use sparingly if at all.
Keep one treat. In all things, balance -- if you too strict, you'll likely really fall off the wagon quickly. Follow the above guidelines 90% of the time and indulge a little, daily with your free 10% of the time. If you allow for a little 100-200 calories "fudge" factor you can more easily keep the rest of your diet squeaky clean.

That's the recipe for contentment and success! I use this to drop 5 pounds almost every summer and usually within just a few weeks. It takes cooking and packing meals, plus snacks, and several large water bottles, but it's very doable. You don't need to write it all down, but it helps -- just keep it real and honest. It's that hard look in the mirror that makes us able to see what's real, and grow from it.

Drop me a note at sunny@sunnydayfitness.com if you want to know more about a nutritional lifestyle for weight loss or healthy weight maintenance. I look forward to hearing from you!

Saturday: Food & Exercise log

2009-07-11T23:07:00.000-07:00

I began with a good appetite from a 5-6 mile run from Stade Olympique back to the B&B. Starting with the residential Rue Rachel, which features a prominent bike lane, I ran west towards the southern route called Rue Prefontaine, perhaps after the famous runner (more likely a Quebequois politician). In any case, I ran down to the gay village's main drag called Rue St. Catherine. This road, filled with bars/discos/boutiques near the center part of the Latin Quarter, is rather industrial on its eastern edge. The only scenic section was the overpass going across a few RR tracks that while running into a head-wind offered full views of downtown. The bright sun and strong breeze motivated me to run faster down through the Quarter.

People on foot were not as plentiful at 10am as they were at 1am, but remarkably I was the only one running and one of the few not smoking. People smoke everywhere here, especially on the sidewalks. It was a little sad to see so much disregard for health, lungs, and a bright Saturday morning, but I was happy to return to the B&B with my non-smoking friends.

Looking for food after the run, I was pleased that it was pancake day at the B&B and my two palm-sized cakes were nicely crisped at the edges. Add to that some syrup, a banana, two berries, a cup of soymilk, a croissant with smooth, Skippy-style peanut butter (a Nutella-like indulgence), a cup of plain yogurt and about 3/4 cup of muselix with dried fruits and oats. Whoa, that's a lot of food! It was probably 600 cals total. I drank diet soda and ate a piece of dark chocolate (only 30 cals maybe) afterwards, and thought "I should get out of this sweet-feed habit." But no...I added some gummy peach hearts to the mix for another probably 80 cals, which were entirely unnecessary. Note To SELF: Eating to win isn't about careless excess, and the race I want to win is just 5 weeks away now.

So, I continued with a rather light mid-day meal (ham on wheat) and a 100 cal trail bar that tasted like fruity pebbles but claimed to be healthier. Evening meal in Ogunquit was a lobster stew with garlic bread, and lots of it. I should have gotten a salad! Then after the dinner we went for dessert and I had a wonderful, half slice of homemade carrot cake. I felt pretty good about all that except for the lack of greens. I only disappointed myself further by eating another 250 cals at 10pm in malted milk balls while driving back to Boston. Ugh. I have got to drop that late night sweet-eating habit! More on that in my next posting on nutrition...

Active Vacations

2009-07-10T22:34:00.000-07:00

Time to travel means time to walk, jog, run, and bike around a new place. Whether in the country or in a city, Sunny is a big fan of seeing new places under her own power and not always from behind the glass casing of a car, bus, or plane. It simply makes sense to spend time and get exercise by heading outdoors.

And remember: Taking in local sights and scenes while getting a little extra calorie burn also has the added benefit of allowing for a little slice of apple pie cake at lunch or a few special bites of chocolate after dinner. Some start with a massive breakfast followed by a late, carbohydrate-laden lunch. For me, that just leads to a nap-crash in the afternoon. Instead, I prefer taking in local foods, as suggested in this poster: We sell LOCAL products HERE.

Drop me a note at web@sunnydayfitness.com to get started on a healthier lifestyle for weight loss or healthy weight maintenance at home and "on the road". I look forward to hearing from you!

SunnyDayFitness - July Bootcamp

2009-07-01T20:26:00.000-07:00

Exciting news! I am proud to announce that Bootcamp at Fresh Pond starts tomorrow with a few friends from my website and Facebook Page for SunnyDayFitness.com website fan page.

Here's a preview of the location where we'll be running

Longer Bootcamp Jog-Right Route
Find more Runs in Cambridge, Massachusetts

After a Warmup featuring dynamic, fun drills like "Monster Walks" and "Crazy Feet" we'll progress to what I call "The half-pond run". Participants will choose which direction to run -- Right (Red 1.6 miles) or Left (Blue 1.0 miles) for a longer or shorter warm-up jog/walk/run. Hopefully everyone will be up for the running, but we'll see!

Then we'll move into Drills and Games, like "soccer runs" and "capture the flag". Next comes P & P's -- code word for drill combos that people love to hate: Planks and Plyometrics. Then comes the triple threat for the arms - Pushups, Jumping Jacks, and Dips. Finally, we'll end with Stretches and a walk back to the cars or bikes where we start the rest of our day. All this in just one hour, once a week, and for only $10-12 per session. Sounds fun, doesn't it?

SunnyDayFitness can Revitalize your Life -- click here to see Sunny's card and contact her today with your questions.

Good press on Trainers after the Boston Marathon

2009-04-22T20:57:00.000-07:00

"Mr. Gordon found that training, if done right, is the ultimate performance enhancer, with effects that can dwarf those of illegal drugs, like the blood-boosting drug EPO, as well as legal stimulants like caffeine. Still, it seems, too few amateur athletes take it seriously and fewer still do it right. Exercise physiologists and coaches say most people who want to run, swim, cycle or row faster or improve in almost any sport do not appreciate what can be accomplished with training nor how to do it."

It's true, folks. The average person stands to gain a lot of fitness by becoming moderately active. The amateur athlete can boost performance and success while racing by knowing when to go hard at training vs. when to take it easy.

As a trainer of several marathoners, many half-marathoners, and some very tenacious triathletes, I know how eager amateurs can be to "stick with the plan" and run through pain. But this isn't smart training. Instead, I can come in with a "big picture" perspective to say which training days really count, and which can be missed. I can also look at injuries in the making and head them off before the dull ache becomes a driving pain. Best of all, I can see how healthy training brings improved times and better races overall. This helps the athlete come back for more racing, more training, and more years of healthy competition!

Source: NY Times "Want to Go Faster? You Need a Trainer" article, 4/23/2009

Defying the laws of Aging with Exercise

2009-04-13T06:37:00.000-07:00

"We all probably know of at least one senior citizen who seems to defy the laws of aging and remains in top physical shape well beyond their peers. We also tend to dismiss this person as genetically gifted or just unusual. However, research, and more and more seniors, are showing us that this doesn’t have to be the case. Many of the declines in fitness with age are due to lack of use, not just the normal aging process.

While it’s true that as we age we have to work harder than the young, a lot of the declines that we attribute to aging may be reversed with fitness training."

Above RaeLee Elder, 77, exercises wearing a T-shirt that expresses her positive outlook on life.

Over the past two years, Senior Journal.com has published the following among many headlines and research findings about benefits for senior fitness training:

Strength Training Is an Antidote to Muscle Loss In Elderly
Resistance or "strength" training has repeatedly been shown to be a safe and effective method of reversing sarcopenia, or muscle loss, in the elderly. The condition actually starts around age 45, when muscle mass begins to decline at a rate of about 1 percent per year. Scientists funded by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have been studying the factors involved in gradual muscle loss since 1988.

Boomers, Young Seniors Can Extend Life With Minimal Exercise
A new study gives people in their 50s and 60s another reason to get off the couch and be physically active — especially if they have conditions or habits that endanger their hearts, like diabetes, high blood pressure or smoking.

Elderly Women Should Worry More About Exercise Than Weight
Elderly women should worry more about exercising than about controlling their weight in order to prevent their physical decline, according to a study done at the University of Pittsburgh and recently published in Preventive Medicine.

Exercise also Improves Memory, Balance, Emotional State/Mood, Quality of Life, Bone Density, and even Skin Healing among Elderly. How many more reasons does one need to get active, stay active, especially in their retirement years. Time is on your side if you keep your body healthy and moving!

Source: http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/olderathletes/a/seniorfit.htm
Photo: MARK CROSSE / THE FRESNO BEE
http://www.fresnobee.com/907/story/1274482.html

Good Friday run

2009-04-10T15:14:00.000-07:00

http://www.mapmyrun.com/route/us/UT/Park%20City/962123940149085260

Good Friday Route
Find more Runs in Park City, Utah

Mile 1.5~ of this run had a fair amount of slush and snow on trails near the McKonin Family Farm. A little further ahead was a nice memorial on the bridge at St. Mary's Catholic Church. Across the Olympic Pkwy was a nice footpath around Temple Bar Shalom, which is shown in construction phase on satellite photo but is now a gorgeous modern house of worship.

I did this run entirely on a multi-use path miles 3-4 along a stream and near colorful desert brush plants which had gold, red, and purple colored stems. All this under blue/white/grey clouded skies and a soaring hawk overhead. Lovely! I only wish I'd taken pictures!

MapMyRun.com - a favorite website

2009-04-01T07:56:00.000-07:00

I think it's brilliant how this site works: login, zoom in, click around the route you just ran, and then save it. Tell it how long your run took and it tells you the miles per hour or minutes per mile that you just ran! Who needs a garmin foot-pod and $200+ GPS system when you have this?!

I use it for

sharing my favorite routes runs with others
remembering where I've run when I travel
checking my paces on long runs outdoors
finding bathrooms or parks on other people's logged run routes
adding cool maps to my blog

Gym To Fresh Pond For 2 Loops in Cambridge, Mass
Gym to Fresh Pond for 2 loops
Find more Runs in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Metabolic Mayhem a.k.a. BURN

2009-03-30T12:28:00.000-07:00

Are you interested in personal training but don't have the time or the money? the lilac-colored flyer asked.

After a recent workout at Harvard's Malkin Center, "A class of advanced circuits geared towards people that have just a small amount of time to be in the gym and want the most bang for their buck." They call it "Metabolic Mayhem"; at Healthworks, we call it BURN. I was surprised to see how, like BURN, they use:

* timed sets and intervals of rest
* mostly body weight exercises using some dumbbells
* dynamic warmup followed by interval circuits followed by static stretching

The kicker was that their group met at the same time each week (mid-day on a single weekday) and that participants pay in advance for all 6 classes, no refunds for missed classes. This is how bootcamps work at my gym, but not how BURN works.

The one advantage for clients is that having the same group time/day week after week means that progressions can be made for the group to build on past weeks' moves. By contrast, BURN sessions run at 14+ different time/day combinations each week, so there is almost never the same group twice. Trainers leading BURN sessions have to give the beginner to advanced adjustments on-the-fly based on participant skill. We also accommodate varying speeds of walkers/joggers/runners in each treadmill BURN session.

Seeing weekly group training schedules does make me appreciate just how consistent vs. chaotic scheduling can really influence a workout progression. How consistent are my client's workout routines? How can I make them more progressive while keeping them fresh with new or tweaked moves week after week? That is every trainer's challenge, and every group training instructor's challenge, too.

Journal article: Age-related Changes in Marathon and Half-Marathon Performances

2009-03-29T05:55:00.000-07:00

I've often wondered just how much age slows down an athlete. Cycling and running may seem like "a young person's game" when aging world-class athletes and Olympians over 35 are written off as contenders for first place. However, competition for many age-group prizes (based on 5-year or 10-year age brackets) remains fierce as aging athletes compete against one another.

But how much do aging marathon and half-marathon runners really slow down? A group of German researchers quantified the "age effect" a few years ago in the International Journal of Sport Medicine. Their answer surprised me: age is not statistically significant at all for age groups in the 20-49 range, and in the 50-69 age range each passing decade correlated to only a 2-5% loss in speed. Just 30 seconds per mile or less for a 2-hr half-marathoner!

Such a small effect from age surprised me and reassured me that age isn't everything. In fact, it's very little. The ability to exercise and dedication to training is the key factor in the older athlete's success. As the researchers conclude their abstract: Lifestyle factors have considerably stronger influences on functional capacity than age is supported by these findings from physically active and fit elderly.

Reference: http://www.thieme-connect.de/ejournals/abstract/sportsmed/doi/10.1055/s-2006-924658

Spring Mix in Cambridge Parks

2009-03-24T07:37:00.000-07:00

The path to fitness often leads to parks and ponds. Where else can one run in a circle without feeling like a hamster? In Cambridge, Mass., we enjoy many urban parks for recreation. My favorites in North Cambridge are Corcoran Park, Danehy Track, and the Fresh Pond Reservation. The littlest park, Corcoran, has a nice, grassy soccer field, a kid's playset with hanging bars, and a garden surrounded by fencing that is the perfect height for leg stretches. It is usually my first stop on an outdoor run. It is perfect for dynamic warmups like "crab walking" on the soccer field, strength and balance challenges on the playset, and static stretching along the fence.

Continuing through the neighborhood I am faced with the choice of doing A. a speed workout on the cushioned surfaced of Danehy Track or B. a distance workout on the mostly paved loop around Fresh Pond. If I go to the track, I'll be in full sun atop a hill and running 400m circles around a field frequented by ultimate frisbee and soccer players. By contrast, if I go to Fresh Pond, I'll run in partial shade around the city's reservoir and likely have to dodge 20-30 dogs off-leash and their walkers taking the same loop for exercise. Sometimes the "dog factor" makes my decision easy -- there are days when you want distractions, and days when you don't.

Either way, Cambridge runners are lucky to have their pick of parks. There are many paths to fitness, and most take us outdoors. As spring approaches, consider how many good options there are to stretch, stride, and stroll outside the confines of the gym. Enjoy the fresh air, and Enjoy your workout!

Here's the Fresh Pond loop from my gym on mapmyrun.com
I'll use this for future outdoor bootcamp groups.

Exercise log while in Arizona

2009-03-22T08:03:00.000-07:00

It was great to be outdoors, feeling healthy, fit, and alive in nature. Here are my short exercise notes from last week's adventures:

we - 1.5h hiked the ridge
th - 40 mins walked the loop, then another 40 mins biked down Indian Creek Road and back, 1.5h hiked the lake loop, 20 mins run the Lynx Lake loop to end/back after the 3/4 pt.
fr - 45 mins running up Indian Creek to Ponderosa Ridge Road, 1h hiked the waterfalls
sa - 1.5h walked the Granite Creek town park trail, 1.5h walked the Heritage Park Zoo site

Hiking Days

2009-03-21T07:57:00.000-07:00

I love the outdoors and hiking off-trail. But as I sit and itch with welts on my legs from having traipsed through many hillsides of unknown plants, I question my love of hiking these desert hillsides. Our first excursion "through the brush" was up to a ridge above the Prescott National Forest. Later trips were around Lynx Lake and down to Indian Creek waterfall, a hidden gem off of a dirty beaten path. Every time we followed Moses, Matthew's Dad's, lead through some crazy bramble and on/off established paths.

Moses seemed to know his agenda more than he knew the trails. Every turn and step was a cue for potential improvisation. He seemed to favor the "direct" routes even when clearer and cleaner paths beckoned. Thankfully, I wore long pants on the first hike, which seemed to be the trickiest of the three hikes.

But that was before we discovered that half of the Lynx Lake hike was roped off due to bald eagle nesting area preservation. Did that stop Moses from cutting his own path, above the fenced off areas and through the brush? No, of course not. I worried that we would get caught trampling through protected vegetation, but thankfully, we did not get noticed. Instead, the vegetation clawed at and scratched up my legs. It itched and looked almost like a heat rash. I vowed to never go off on a "hike" in shorts again (but of course did the same thing the next day at the waterfall trail.) In any case, my legs will heal and I really did enjoy the hiking destinations. I took lots of photos and made some lovely memories with my sweet Matthew.

Fasting Day goes Fast in Arizona

2009-03-18T08:08:00.000-07:00

I have been fasting on Mondays in Lent, but due to a special lunch at my favorite Emma's Pizza place, I decided to delay my fast until Wednesday this week. Visiting Matthew's family Tues-Saturday in Arizona meant that my fast this week would be done a lot differently than my typical Mondays at the gym. Instead, I would be drinking diet soda in the car...

The family woke and fired up the tea kettle and the toaster for bagels and tea. I had only the tea. The family then went into town and attended a mid-week Communion Service at St. Paul's Anglican Church, where Matthew's dad serves as a Deacon. I felt no hunger at all during the service. I was quite satisfied to have the communion host and wine as my only sustenance when the lunch plan was announced: drive-thru Taco Bell for a picnic.

They noshed on seven-layer burritos and nachos while I sipped water and enjoyed the view, the sunshine, and the cool breeze. The weather here truly is *sweet* -- every day is 70F and every night falls to 35F with stars and bright sun lighting each in turn. The kids of the family really love scrambling around rocks, up through wild brush, and out to the rocky overlooks.

Later in the afternoon we went on a hike taking several miles and about 1.5 hrs. It was in the late-day sun and I worried that my fasted tummy would leave me light-headed. So I took along a recovery protein drink mixed into my water bottle, just in case. I did sip it all down and every last vanilla protein-enhanced drop tasted so sweet. Only 4 more hours until sundown and time to break the fast. But first we had to go to a park with the kids and wait out the afternoon...I got a little stir-crazy.

I probably should have waited until we returned home to the feasting table; I wasn't that hungry. But since we'd packed a few half-turkey, half-salami sandwiches and a half of a bannan to take around with us, I said a quick prayer while watching the sunlight fade at 7pm and took my first bite. The bannana practically melted in my mouth. And then the sandwiches. They were all chewy goodness, still partly chilled. I felt more grateful for the creamy tartness of cheddar cheese than ever before. It was perfect end to my fast. I enjoyed being alone in my thoughts, one with the sunset, and I thought, as ever, God is good.

A simple thought

2009-03-14T13:29:00.000-07:00

The journey may be the destination, but sometimes we just want "to be there already". This is as true in fitness as in life.

Fresh Pond Bootcamp

2009-03-14T07:28:00.000-07:00

After a recent 3-mile run in February, I was asked to lead a few friends through some strengthening circuits. The icy spots and snow piles next to the path limited my options somewhat -- no burpees in the grass, for example. Still, I quickly thought of a series of moves that worked. My friends who tried it on that icy day were "sore for days".

Now I wonder if people would pay $9 per class for bootcamp training like this. It would meet weekly, rain or shine, at Fresh Pond in the spring and summer months ahead. Maybe I'll try out the idea on the Mystic Marauders first, before swim season starts. Look for this in early April!

The moves are quite simple (lunges, squats, pushups, etc.) but the sets become quite hard. I have devised an evil scheme using a downward trend like so 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, etc.. and as the repetitions get fewer, the moves get harder. I'll report back here on how it goes.

BBC's report and quiz -- Big Fat Problem

2009-03-09T20:59:00.000-07:00

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/bigfatproblem/
This series features good info on meal planning, lifestyle changes, and a simple quiz that I got 10 of 11 possible. Which did I miss? Well, I thought that only 60% of people would think that they "active enough", but alas...I was Wrong. 80% of adults think they are fit and believe they do enough exercise for health benefit, though most people thought they were fitter than they actually were!

Going to NH to ski/sled tomorrow

2009-03-05T21:48:00.000-08:00

I'm geared up and ready to get my winter hiking going tomorrow. I may need new wax for those old XC-skis, but hopefully they'll work OK anyway. The plan is to hike up 2 miles to the (AMC) Cardigan High Cabin with a few friends, carrying our own wood, water, food, and provisions for 1.5 days of snowy fun. I really hope it doesn't rain. Temperature trends are hard to predict at elevation, but I'm looking forward to some wilderness regardless.

Someone else is bringing a sled and I hope to play so hard that I'll need a heart rate monitor to log it all in my training log. This kind of thing is exactly what I train for -- playing hard when life allows a little outdoors time -- when I'm not training for triathlons, that is.

Harvard gym workout, pool closed

2009-03-04T22:24:00.000-08:00

A really busy, good day although I didn't get the swim as I'd hoped and planned. Oh well. Lots of other good activity though and two training clients with some exercise demos as well. Also met some physician/psychologists who I may be receiving training referrals from very soon. Yay, more training business and for a very high-need, high-resources population!

Fresh Pond run and mini-bootcamp

2009-02-27T08:36:00.000-08:00

So as you can see, I've gone back to logging workouts. It's a simple act, but a powerful discipline. I have logged triathlon training workouts for years. Seeing the build-up of hours and miles gives me confidence for most any race.

Fri, Feb 27 Run ~3.5 miles in 35 minutes. Also gave a Mini-boot camp in 10 minutes for two friends, immediately post-run. Drills included 2x10 pushups, 2x15 squats, 2x20 walking lunges, 2x20 side squats, 1x10 tricep dips. My running pal told me she was sore for days afterwards. Yay!

Bay Area cycling buzz: Training champions

2009-02-11T06:26:00.000-08:00

I used to live and ride in the San Francisco Bay Area. In fact, I would say that learning about cycling there almost 9 years ago made me the rider and athlete that I am today. Years have passed but my love of riding and training has only grown. Coaching athletes as a personal trainer gives me an even greater appreciation for the sport.

Charlie Livermore, cycling coach and EndurancePTC Founder wrote:
There's a cycling buzz in the Bay Area. The start of the Tour of California is just a couple of days away and all the emotions that sporting events of this magnitude create are flowing. Personally, I'm not sleeping so well these days. Through an Endurance sponsorship I've been coaching BMC Team rider Ian McKissick for the last three years and now he's at a level to ride for a top 10 overall place in the biggest race in America! Three years of the same testing, biomechanics, planning and training that Endurance members benefit from are in the bag and Ian is calm and ready to go. One of my favorite quotes really sums up what it takes to reach this point of opportunity:

"Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years that they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance is merely the demonstration of their championship character." - T. Alan Armstrong

When you are out there next weekend watching in amazement as these cyclists fly by on a climb or on the finishing circuits, take a moment to think and acknowledge the incredible amount of consistent, day after day, year after year, training that each rider has logged when no one was looking. It really puts the stakes into perspective and heightens the emotional buzz that comes with an event like the Tour of California.

I will be curious to see how lesser known riders like Ian Kissick stack up against the seasoned pros including George, Lance, Levi, David and Christian. Check the AMGEN Tour of California website for "riders to watch".

Today's training

2009-02-02T10:02:00.000-08:00

I just returned from this easy 20+ mile ride. The roads were not too gutted and mostly dry. Best of all, the sun was shining so brightly I needed sunglasses!
MapMyRide.com | View Mass Ave Loop To Lexi - 21 Miles in Cambridge, Massachusetts

A new day, It's a new day

2009-02-01T20:39:00.000-08:00

This blog is taking on a new life. I have finally found a voice to say what I think will be gratifying. I have an audience out there to connect with very soon.

I'll give you a few ideas to try on -- how do your body and mind connect during exercise, how does your self-concept get re-shaped while you change your physical shape -- plus a few facts about me that will give credence to the ideas that I suggest to you.

Stay tuned...the journey begins now.

Photos from HubOnWheels.org

2006-10-01T19:56:00.000-07:00

Every sponsor, rider, and optimistic spectator at the City Hall plaza, Boston.

Banner for my triathlon team sponsor, Wheelworks.

One cyclist expressing a common sentiment at the start of the ride.

Just towards the river from Beacon Hill, cyclists "own" Storrow Drive.

Riders in mass...

Riders waving hello saying "it's great to have the road to myself!"

including the littlest rider. Ride one, ride all!

Bike Day in Boston

2006-10-01T19:36:00.000-07:00

I woke up to skies threatening to rain and that bittersweet sadness that my 'race' planned for the day would be cancelled. Naturally I wanted to ride before it got wet and messy outdoors, so I went to downtown Boston to see the HubOnWheels.org riders take off for their 10, 20, or 40 mile jaunts through the city. I had almost signed up for the event myself, but then decided to just photograph and ride along the part of the route that would be the most scenic: the Esplanade and Storrow Drive.

As I waved from a bridge, hundreds of passing cyclists waved back. I saw smiles and hear hooting calls of glee from the car-free 3-laned road below. It was a magnificent sight! And as the last riders passed, I knew that those rare moments of blissful, bike-friendly roads would come to an end.

I rode along the closed route for the last mile, savoring the peace and tranquility, calling out *and* being heard by the one other rider out enjoying the silence with me. "See you on this ride next year!" I said before getting off of the road, back on to the bike-path beside it, where bikes "belong" and then I heard it...whoosh...and then another whoosh. Cars were coming back on to the road that had been closed. The city was going back to it's normal, bike-oblivious, car-centric self. But it was ours, the cyclists, sharing it so well during that hour of the ride -- and it made me well up with tears to think that it'd be another year before Storrow Drive would hear only the sound of freewheel hubs again.

Getting and giving the boot(camp)

2006-01-22T04:07:00.000-08:00

Fitness training is by its very nature a trendy business. People pay trainers to help them "look good" although some will also say that the de-stressing benefit of training is also worth every penny, but let's face it: we want training to make us into "new hotness"

Well, I'm noticing that the latest trend in fitness seems to be based on the grunting soldier-in-training style of workout known as a bootcamp. Just as with the Marines, "bootcamp recruits" are put through the rigors of 4-12 week programs emphasizing strength, endurance, and speed. (What about flexibility, you ask? Not so much...afterall, who needs flexibility to run in combat boots...according to most bootcamper leaders, that yoga-stuff is for girly men.) Bootcamp trainees at Boston's Ultimate Bootcamp may not learn to do full-on bodyweight pullups in just 4 weeks, but they do learn to rise and shine at 0500 hours. Meeting at the running path along the river, the local HS track, or the nearest jungle-gym playground, similar early morning bootcamp groups are popping up everywhere. And there's usually not a celebrity-style trainer dressed in camoflage to lead the group. Nike tights and New Balance shoes are much more de rigeur. The typical bootcamp instructor, unlike in the armed forces formal bootcamps, has no megaphone, no pointy brimmed hat, and no combat boots. You may not even get called "maggot". So what are you paying them to do?

More on that next time...

First posting

2006-01-16T18:49:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my blog...my own little corner of the blogsphere where thoughts on training and tidbits on the fitness lifestyle can gather dust or shine brightly. That's the thing with blogs and bodies: you either use them or they become useless altogether. I have great plans to use both, although my blog less frequently than my body. Two links in the sidebar will direct you to more info about my training and eating. That's where you'll see the most up-to-date info about what I'm doing, how I'm feeling. The blog will just glean out some commentary and daydreaming along the way as I progress though the 2006 training and racing season. Stay tuned and enjoy the ride!