Marathon blog #4

So many of you are off to a great start! What I love most about the stories that you are sharing with me is that you are making this training your own. You are all listening to your bodies, having some light bulb moments and acknowledging the emotions that come up along the way.

For example, some of you are learning the art of a warm up… That if you just race off from your start point, mindless, you get cramping in your calves, wheezing, etc. (if this happens then slow down). Remember, you should start-off slow and build speed over a five minute period of time and during this time you shouldn’t feel any tension, cramping, your breath should be full.

I’ve heard about the “a-ha” moments, stretching at the end of your workout. For those of you that workout with me on Saturday, you find that even though it is your long run, you aren’t that sore & tight the next day or two. This is because we do a good stretching program at the end. If you skip your stretching program at the end then your body starts to speak loudly until you listen and give it some much needed “love.” You can’t skip this. It must be part of your routine.

I’ve heard stories of: the run was great but afterword’s I was angry, I was happy, I am amazed I did it, I’m proud, I’m fearful to start to exercise, I’m embarrassed to exercise with others, etc. You are certainly going to learn a lot about yourself during your training times. Look, you have nothing but time while you are out in nature. This is fun. This isn’t about punishment, judgment, competition or having an expectation. This is about learning about yourself, your body, being healthy, enjoying the outdoors, having fun with others during movement, exploring yourself and personal awareness. Please don’t put yourself into a box that you create for you.

Be patient and allow yourself some grace. As you become more efficient, work on your technique you will have a sense of joy and as this joy increases so will your efficiency in your running. I know I rocked my 5 mile run on a very cold day. I felt great. I enjoyed it but then came my short runs the next week. I felt okay, but I wasn’t looking forward to them. Remember, our mind is like concrete; sometimes it’s visualized as a road block. Our body is fluid. I’m always trying to create a fluid mind to match my body. Running is inexpensive, running goes with you anywhere, and running clears the mind chatter and helps you keep it in sane perspective.

This training needs to be fun. You need to be having the time of your life whether you picked walking, running or a combination of both (that’s me). Your heart will beat stronger, your bone density will improve, and you’ll burn calories and increase your cardiovascular efficiency. A lot of people get injured while running and never make it to the start line. Why? In my personal opinion it is because they over-train (going beyond what the body is capable of), attack their training with the same stress they live daily, have poor alignment and use poor running technique.

This is why we offered you some additional services such as Sherri Eby to help with holistic health and emotions. Chi Running by Danny Dreyer will help with your running program. We like Danny’s philosophy because it fits with our philosophy of movement at Mind Body Balance. Please make sure that if things are coming up during your running that you strongly consider using one of these additional services for a period of time. I know that my breathing is limiting me (still working on expanding my respiratory muscles from my old injury) I’m rereading my Chi Running book to remind me of good form so that I run with mindfulness. I’ve shared with many of you some of the things that I say in my mind “Breathing in I Smile, Breathing out I smile”, “Inhale God’s Word, Exhale his Love”.

I’ve shared some running techniques based on what I see in your running form when you pass me on the trail. By the way, I’m glad that you pass me because when we get together you shouldn’t feel obligated to go at another’s pace. We are all there to support each other. Chat before and after, maybe during, but the bottom line is to first listen to your body and feel what it is telling you.

Please don’t make your training program about peer pressure, wanting to be the fastest, trying to prove your value, wanting to keep up with the Jones’, etc. This is about you and you define your own success, no other. Danny Dreyer talks about Master Xu in his book and I love the saying “Let your mind do the work….let your body relax.” Your running should be with ease. You should run down that trail as if you are the air that blows through the tree leaves, you should leave no foot prints behind, and your energy should be united between body, mind and spirit. The process of this training is your goal. The events are just fun social gatherings for us to have community with one another.

Learn what your body can and can’t do and teach your body new skills and habits. Danny Dreyer’s techniques make sense on so many levels I really hope that you get his book as I recommended in the very first blog and absorb every page. I know mine is well used.
“Principles are deep Fundamental Truths that have universal application. Principles are guidelines for human conduct that are proven to have enduring, permanent value” –Steven Covey

Your reading for this week is to cover the next three chapters in Chi Running by Danny Dreyer (chapters 4, 5, 6 by months end) these chapters are on form and technique. Danny’s principals are very similar to those that Joseph Pilates left us (Centering, Control, Concentration, Flowing, Precision, and Breathing) remember Joseph called it Contrology (the complete coordination of Body, Mind and spirit). So with this said, you should be spending your time on form these next four weeks and listening to your body. For example, if I start to get tense while running or something starts to “talk” I start to walk until I can correct my form, quite my muscles and relax.

I send it good thoughts. I don’t get mad or discouraged. Instead I ask it what it needs, why do I need to carry this tension, can I let the tension go, my left side isn’t tracking right because I have numbing or I’m a little sore the next day. How can I work on my technique to help it, etc. While the table below offers suggestions, please use your best judgment and listen to what your body is telling you. Maybe you need to walk the long runs and not shuffle at all. Maybe you need to stay with a different interval then what is recommended but can still go the time and distance. All of this is fine, giving you permission to listen to your body. Just stay healthy, injury free and consistent with your program; helping you find the balance that works for you. If you get discouraged go back and re-read the blogs because they offer great suggestions and serve as good reminders.

Week #	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
1	Short Run	Yoga	Short Run/ Yoga	Pilates	Pilates	Long Run Breathing	Active Rest/ Nap
2	Short Run	Yoga	Short Run/ Yoga	Pilates	Pilates	Long RunBreathing	Active Rest/ Nap
3	Short Run	Yoga	Short Run/Yoga	Pilates	Pilates	Long RunBreathingSherri’s Class	Active Rest/ Nap
4	Short Run	Yoga	Short Run/ Sherri’s Class	Pilates	Pilates	Long Run Breathing	Active Rest/ Nap

Week One (intention is Body Sensing) a short run is 30/40 it is a 5 minute warm up and 5 minute cool down with a 2 minute shuffle/ jog or fast walk and a 3 minute walk. The long run is 4 miles same warm up, cool down and interval.

Week Two (intention is Breathing) a short run is 35/45 it is a 5 minute warm up and 5 minute cool down with a 3 minute shuffle/jog or a fast walk and a 2 minute walk. The long run is 5 miles same warm up, cool down and interval.

Week Three (intention is lean/ posture) a short run is 35/45 it is a 5mintue warm up and 5 minute cool down with a 4 minute shuffle/jog or fast walk and 1 minute walk. The long run is 6 miles same warm up, cool down and interval.

Week Four (intention is effort with ease) a short run is 30/40 it is a 5 minute warm up and a 5 minute cool down with a 2 minute shuffle/jog or fast walk and 3 minute walk. The long run is 4 miles same warm up, cool down and interval.

If the above mentioned intentions don’t make sense, then please consult your Chi Running book. Focusing on your reading and working on your form will go a long way and help yourself create a strong base in which to grow on.

Now is the time to sign up for your second event: The 10k. And guess what? You’ve already gone the distance. “Yes, You Rock!” http://www.martianmarathon.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=22&Itemid=61

Make sure to register before March 2^nd or you will have to pay extra!

So everyone is asking me who is going to the March 13^th event: the 5k. If you are going walking or running, please comment below so that everyone can see and help inspire those that are sitting on the edges looking in wishing they had the courage to sign up too. I confidently know that all of my clients can walk a 5k. so please join us it is for a good cause.

What is the wise thing to do?

Recently Andy Stanley has inspired me to do some self evaluation. I was recently preparing for a leadership conference this year.  When you enrolled early you were gifted a book entitled The Best Question Ever by Andy Stanley. Two weeks before the conference my excitement was building and I thought I probably should give it a quick read before I attend….you know, so I’m prepared and all…..

Of course, like many items that grab us, we always say “If only I had this earlier in life.” But, the truth is, I probably wasn’t ready for it until now.  He said in his book “You can overspend, overeat, and overachieve, but you can’t over-live.”  Lets look at this for a moment.  We all know that our time is limited on earth, right? You would think this would inspire us to look at our life differently, but instead, we all spend our lives asking for more time instead of evaluating how we invest our time we already have.

I think a better idea to ponder would be how to use our current time.  For example, what do you do with all of your extra time? You might be thinking, “Well, I have no extra time.” But, for you parents, I bet you thought you had no extra time when you were single.  You found time for your first, second, and third child. Where did all that “time before children” go?  Away?  Where did your life go? 

I get clients all the time that say, “I know I should take care of myself but I just don’t have the time!” WHAT?  Think about your past experiences (family history your own health history, etc), your current responsibilities (parent, care giver, productive citizen, etc.), your future hopes and dreams (grandkids, children in college, trips in the golden years, etc.).  What is the wisest way to invest in your health?  Now, you are all smart enough to know how to manage your time, see were your time-wasters are and to understand that time is life.  But, often times, we don’t prioritize our health until it is too late.

I see clients that routinely, for years, ignored this very aspect of life.  Then finally something happens in their life and their health gets pushed up the ladder to the top rung. They, of course, are often looking for a quick fix (a magic pill) and get angry that I can not accomplish their goal (reduce pain, lower cholesterol, lose weight, etc.) in just a handful of sessions. It is almost as if they are laying there, thinking, “This won’t work, this isn’t helping me.”etc.

At this point, I tell them, “The body is fluid and has the ability to repair, heal and change over time.  The mind is concrete.”  In other words, if you are saying unkind, negative things while we work together, we should just stop working together.  You are working against your body and you “know” that it won’t change.

You aren’t ready to change your lifestyle until you are ready.  You are only ready when it has nothing to do with the externals floating about in your life.  In one, or even five sessions you aren’t going to see this big difference other than you may be sore and realize that taking back your life is going to be hard work.  Sorry to be the barer of bad news but…  It’s the truth. 

If you allow your exercise sessions and the small lifestyle changes to accumulate… now you are talking about real movement that has a measurable benefit in your life. I know we are a society that wants immediate gratification.  Because exercise doesn’t supply this it is easy for our mind to “fight to be right” and say things like, “It will not hurt if I miss one day.”  Healthy lifestyle factors have a compounding effect.  Consistent, small investments of time have a value.  In the end, that time makes a difference.

If you are like me, you live and learn.  I’ve found myself, many times, wishing I could go back in time and actually listen to my father’s advice.  But I can’t go back.  In fact, we can’t go back for many things such as living, loving, re-prioritizing….the critical aspects of life.  We cannot go back and make up for our mistakes or lost time. You know you’ve done it with your health.  In fact, at the beginning of every year I see it.  Many clients wanting me to brow beat them with outrageous workouts, trying to make up for “that lost time of exercising” in their life.  It’s as if logging 2-3 hours a day makes you feel “in control.”  You’ll feel you’ve regained your footing, then you’ll wake up the next day and have a hard time getting out of bed or you injure yourself.  And so, the brain says, “See, I told you we shouldn’t be doing this.”

Your health matters.  It is one of the top five things that matter in your life and you can’t make up for lost time.  Two of the biggest crises’ that Americans face today are obesity and metabolic diseases; both of which stem from making decisions.  We eat too much.  We spend too much on trends and magic pills.  It isn’t because we make too little income or have too little time.  So we look for others to blame for our behaviors like fast food, finances, employers, etc.

You know something about cars, right?  But most of us don’t work on them by ourselves. You don’t expect your mechanic to make wise suggestions and decisions about your car without first knowing how the car works, right? You don’t try to make wise decisions about your family’s finances without first seeking out a financial planner and knowing the laws and principles that work in these areas of your life.  So, why then, would you not seek help in mastering your health? How would you expect to make wise decisions?

Make a health care team for you today that includes:

• You,
• An integrative fitness professional,
• A doctor that respects movement and nutrition,
• A physical therapist if needed,
• A nutritionist and
• A “body-work” professional.

Marathon Blog #3: We will get you off the couch and to the finish line!

Our program will be focusing on the basics. We
will build programs that are slow because slow and steady wins
every time. Our program increases your endurance and develops your
mental and physical strength. This is a process of stressing and
resting the body. You will need time to allow yourself to recover
from stress through active rest weeks. By giving this to your body,
you decrease your chances of injury and overtraining. The average
person needs a gradual training program that will incorporate:

flexibility, strength, cardio,
nutrition, active rest, cross training

All of
which you can get at Mind / Body: Balance. Mind Body Balance does
not in any way support the mindset of
“no pain, no gain.” With that said, there will be some level
of soreness, fatigue and stiffness as the body is challenged. Mind
Body Balance has a program that is flexible and adaptable to each
individual. We strongly suggest that
you do NOT take short cuts, jump
ahead, or fall behind. You will be setting yourself up for failure,
increased risk of injury, increasing the chance of not reaching
your goal. We want you to be successful. We will have cross
training suggestions. For example, always running on a hard surface
will lead to sore legs… running downhill all the time is also
jarring to the legs. We will vary our group runs so that sometimes
we are running on dirt, softer or flat terrain and when we do
incorporate some hills we will be slow down the hill, we may
suggest rollerblading or water-running too. Accountability is huge
in preparing for this event. For those of you that use my Fitness
Coaching services, use your diaries to keep track of your progress
in your comment section. Start to keep track of aches/ pains,
distance, moods, stress levels, etc. If you don’t do Fitness
Coaching with me then get a journal and start writing down the
date, route, rate of perceived exertion, type of exercise, energy
level, injury, total distance, moods, stress levels and heart rate
information. Keeping track of this information will help you see
patterns, celebrate success, monitor progress, keep us honest and
motivate you. Let’s face it, there will be days you don’t want to
move. Looking through your journal and seeing your
accomplishments… how far you’ve come… will inspire you to get off
the couch when you arrive at the present and see a blank page.
Remember, our training schedule is flexible; you decide which days
you do what. Also remember it makes sense to space out
modalities throughout the week. I’m putting my training schedule
down and you can move the modalities around to the days that work
best for you. Try to get two short walk/jog/runs during the week
and the long run done on a half-day off or weekend. This will allow
you to gradually adapt to the physical and mental demands of the
sport. Make various running routes using your car’s odometer so you
aren’t over training. A gps foot pod hooked to your heart
rate monitor also works. I hear the grumbles pertaining to the long
run. This is why we are offering a Thank u so much for the extravagant gift unexpected & appreciated :)group run on Saturdays at
3p.m. If you are like me, you are going to need the group
support to make it happen. These long runs will help you have the
knowledge, confidence, peace of mind that you can accomplish your
event come race day. Warm ups and cool downs are
important. I will be posting something separate for
this. I will tell you, I’m not an advocate of
stretching first; a lot of injury happens here. I
like the warm up of doing the 100 (gets your breath and body
moving and brings awareness to your powerhouse)and walking until
your heart rate gets to a certain beat that is right for you (I
will go over this with each one of you). For the cool down, I’ll be
asking you to lower your heart rate to a certain beat and then I
have a stretching routine for you to follow after your run. You’d
be annoyed if you got an injury (and doubly annoyed if the injury
resulted from doing something you thought would prevent injury) so
let’s be mindful about our warm ups and cool downs. Please read
chapters 1-3 in your chi running or walking book by months end.
Your next marathon blog will cover topics about nutrition. You are
burning a lot of fuel so let’s talk about what type of fuel you
need to refuel your body with. For our long runs we will be meeting
at the studio unless otherwise stated. Please remember that I won’t
personally be at all of them, so at times the group will need to
organize itself. You will learn the ropes from me on what to do for
the long runs and I’m sure there is more than one leader in our
group that can layout the day’s run. Also, Monique, Jenny or I
should be at just about every run but as you know, we do have to
attend trainings throughout the year so that we can keep you at the
top of your game. In order to respect everyone’s time we will
always leave our running start point at 10 minutes after. At our
first run we will go over some group running etiquette. As we get
going and you are sharing your successes with family and friends
they will want to join us. We can take new members up till May
15^th or so. Any time after this point
they would need to train for a smaller event on the same day but
all are welcome. Depending on when
they join we will help them train safely and explain how their
training program may be slightly different than ours.

Our
first Field Trip: I will be going shoe
shopping at Running Fit on Liberty St. in Ann Arbor on a Sunday in
January (22^nd ). I like this business
because they are a Michigan based company, they have several
quality brands to pick from, they will fit you properly and they
sponsor many runs within our communities. If more than ten of us
get together to shop on the same day, I may be able to negotiate a
studio discount for us. Please let me know your interest level. A
good pair of running shoes is an investment and worth
it.
Our first event is March 13,
2011. We will either run or walk a 5k depending on
what you pick. This event sells out quickly so you will want to get
your registration form in a.s.a.p. http://www.runshamrocks.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
Follow this link for the Shamrocks &
Shenanigans web page. Online
registration starts January 2011 and this event does sell out so
don’t procrastinate! This event is “Save a
Heart” (organization that raises funds
to benefit patients and their families who come to the Michigan
Congenital Heart Center at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. Highly
experienced cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, intensive care
specialists, nurses, social workers, anesthesiologists and
radiologists provide comprehensive care for infants, children and
young adults with congenital heart disease.) and starts by Conor
O’Neils. To enter the race is $25 5k run/walk, $12 kid’s Kilometer,
$7 Kid’s Dash. The start times on race day are 10:45 a.m. for the
kid’s dash, 11 a.m. for the kid’s kilometer, 11:30 a.m. for the 5k.
Packet pickups will be Saturday 3/12 from 2-5p at: Running Fit at
5700 Jackson Rd in Ann Arbor. Get your green race attire 🙂

Week #	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
1	Short run	Yoga	Yoga/Short run	Pilates	Pilates	Breathing Class/Long Run with group	Active Rest
2	Short run	Yoga	Yoga/Short run	Pilates	Pilates	Breathing Class, Sherri’s Health Class Long Run with group	Active Rest
3	Short run	Yoga	Yoga/Short run	Pilates	Pilates	Breathing Class, long run with group	Active Rest
4	Short run	yoga	Short Run/Holistic Healing Workshop	Pilates	Pilates	Breathing ClassLong run with group	Active Rest

For week one, the
short runs are 30 minutes long: 5 minute warm up /20 minutes of 1
minute shuffle-jog and 4 minutes walking /5 minute cool down. The
Long run is a distance of 3 miles. You have a 5 minute warm
up and 5 minute cool down. Repeat 1 minute shuffle-jog
and 4 minutes walking as many times as you need to complete the 3
mile distance. For week two short
runs are 35 minutes long 5 minute warm up /25 minutes of 2 minute
shuffle-jog and 3 minutes walking /5 minute cool down. The long run
is a distance of 4 miles. You have a 5 minute warm up and 5
minute cool down. Repeat 2 minute shuffle-jog and 3 minutes
walking as many times as you need to complete the 4 mile distance.
For week
three short runs are 40 minutes long 5 minute warm up
/30 minutes of 3 minute shuffle-jog and 2 minutes walking /5 minute
cool down. The long run is a distance of 5 miles. You have a
5 minute warm up and a 5 minute cool down. Repeat 3 minute
shuffle-jog and 3 minutes walking as many times as you need to
complete the 5 mile distance. For week four short
runs are 35 minutes long 5 minute warm up /25 minutes of 3 minutes
shuffle-jog and 2 minutes walking /5 minute cool down. The long run
is a distance of 3 miles. You have a 5 minute warm up and a 5
minute cool down. Repeat 3 minute shuffle-jog and 3 minute
walk as many times as you need to complete the 3 mile distance.
This month’s workouts are interval workouts so if you can’t shuffle
or jog then just walk faster during that time slot until you build
endurance enough to shuffle or jog. If you aren’t sure what a
shuffle is, then re-read the previous 2 blogs to find out. Active
Rest for this month means just go out for a nice walk for 20
minutes or so and consider building in a mid-day nap.

Marathon Blog #2

 What is a marathon? How do I choose my event? How do I decide to participate?

Commitment, Patience, Good Training Program, Will/ Desire to go the distance, Willingness to take advice/ tips, Consistency, Love, Perseverance, Determination and Hard Work are some characteristics that you will have to own in order to accomplish the goal of completing your first Marathon in the fall of 2011.

A qualifying run for a marathon is 3.30 hours and under. Our first goal is to finish and then to finish in about 5-6 hours for a full marathon. A full marathon is 26.2 miles and half marathon is 13.1 miles.

If we walk a full marathon, it will take about 7 hours.  We need to finish in about 6 hours so we will need to do some shuffling in there. If you walk a half marathon, it will be about 4 hours.

Why are we doing this as a studio and why are you even considering participating in this event?
Once you accomplished this experience you won’t regret it.  It is a simplistic, inexpensive event.  Training for the event and the event itself will teach you a lot about yourself.  You’ll learn your limitations and at the same time be given opportunities to conquer them.  You’ll improve your self-worth.

Are you up for it mentally and physically? I know I’m up for a new mental task and physically… well, it’s time I get back into my cardio routine.  There is nothing like an event to make that happen.

Can you make the commitment? I know that I’m worried about this one myself.  Being a small business owner, working 100 hours a week plus having a marriage and a personal life is going to be tough. For example, you are going to have about 38-41 weeks of training you will have 3 cardio sessions on top of your Pilates and yoga to add to your schedule.  One of these cardio sessions (as the training schedule progresses) will take several hours to complete.

Will you have Support? You will have support from me and our Mind Body Balance Community but this is another step in making a lifestyle change.  As you know I always ask you, “How will this help you and hurt you?” Your loved ones will be affected by part of the process whether they are participating in the event or not.

Do I have limiting health Concerns?  Well, as you all know I have injury in my spine in the cervical and thoracic vertebra.  I believe that Pilates and Yoga has made me strong enough to endure this event but until I put it to the test… we will see.  Be honest.  Don’t set yourself up for failure.  Maybe you need to pick the half marathon or train longer than 26 weeks. We are taking a slow, gradual training approach and there will be flexibility in the schedule for you to decide as you progress whether to complete a half or a full.

Are you prepared to take care of yourself? You are going to have to pay particular attention to your nutrition (using your online nutrition program), hydration, and sleep.  All of these are parts of a good training program. Are you willing to be mindful in these areas? We’ve given you the tools to make you successful.  Will you use them to help yourself?

Am I mentally strong enough to physically make this happen? We are often our own worst enemy. Our psychological barriers are often our biggest obstacle to overcome. We are about to embark on a 30+ cardio week of walking/ shuffling/ jogging training program.

Yes, you can go from a coach potato to a full marathon. But we are training a little longer and a little bit different than some programs are written. We need to allow our body (muscles, bones, ligaments) time to adapt to the stress of 26.2 miles that will be put on the body. Yes, some people get injured while preparing for these events. These injuries come from under-training, because they didn’t allow enough time or they were inconsistent in following their program. Some injuries come from over-training; they trained too hard and too frequently. Success for this event will not come easily. This schedule is slow so you can build strength, stamina and confidence. Our ultimate goal is to improve your overall health/ fitness level and to remain injury free. Our secondary goal is to cross that finish line with grace that allowed you to honor your body. The journal I asked you to get will allow you to monitor your aches and pains, seek expert advice and then listen and follow the recommendations.

Preparing for this event is the cheapest prescription available.  The benefits are: 

 

improved heart rate;
cardiovascular system;
muscle tone;
weight control,
circulation,
sleep patterns,
improved health,
increased energy,
improved self-esteem,
time with friends,
quality time outdoors,
stress relief,
weight control,
character building,
strength,
wisdom,
know yourself a little bit better,
bragging rights at the water cooler,
decreased risk of stroke,
decreased risk of hypertension,
decreased risk of diabetes,
decreased risk of cancer (breast and colon),
decreased risk of mental illness,
improves respiratory function,
improves bone strength,
improves muscle balance,
psychological well-being,
improves overall quality of life,
confidence building,
overall attitude boost,
improve focus,
determination,
euphoria
and the list goes on.

 

Some cons for preparing for this event are:

 

a great deal of patience, discipline and willpower
blisters,
chafing,
fatigue after event,
time involved,
experience highs/lows,
cold weather,
injury,

 

Should you participate in a half or a full marathon? Well, how much time do you have to commit to your exercise program? Does the time you have available for your next exercise endeavor match the demands that characterize a full or a half? Have you been injury free the past few months? Are you mentally and physical prepared to train for significantly longer periods of time? Do you have the commitment of family support? Do you realize there will be a “tired” factor and you may need to turn in early for the night? Are you board and want to try another activity?

You all filled out a Par-Q before exercising at the studio. If you marked yes to any of the seven questions then ask your doctor to do an exam before beginning. If you didn’t have any “yeses” than you are probably fine to start training. When you talk to your doctor make sure that they understand what a marathon is and aren’t just against events because they wouldn’t do one. Sorry doc’s, I love ya but maybe you should join us J

Your teen may decide that while you are training they’d like to participate.  This would be a wonderful parent child activity.  Please check first with their doctor to make sure you understand their skeletal maturity. Don’t force your teen to choose your goals.  Let them set their own goals to reach for. You focus on safety and being a good role model.

Our next blog will talk about what is involved with participating in a marathon?

Marathon Blog #1:

This is an overview on:

• How we will help support you
• Dates to clear
• Products to put into your toolbox

I had the pleasure of meeting Anne Zorran when she walked into my studio to become a Pilates client. Anne was a pleasant surprise to me. You see, every client at Mind Body Balance is a gift. We believe those that are ready for a life change will find us. We know that while each client is a new challenge, they will touch our lives in an unsuspected way and we will learn as much as they did. Anne shared her story with me and inspired me to take it to the next level.

We have helped several athletes over the past year accomplish their dreams of participating in Triathlons.  Nick and I (and then some of our clients joined us) volunteered at some local Triathlons and supported our clients who participated. The energy at these events is amazing and this has to be one of the best volunteer experiences we’ve ever helped with. We will continue to volunteer at these again this year and I hope that more of you will join me.

Now we, as a studio, will compete in our first Marathon. Together as a studio we are going to complete The Detroit Free Press Marathon on October 16, 2011.

We have chosen four races in total and the whole family could get involved with all but one of them. Now, I know participating in a Marathon seems overwhelming! Your eyes glaze over, your heart skips a beat, you immediately get tired and feelings of self-doubt come up.  However, somewhere in there a smile occurs.  The mind starts to think “What if…. you know… I’ve secretly wanted to say that I have completed one.” Well, you can participate in one. You will learn a lot about yourself as you prepare for this event. Usually a training schedule for a Marathon is 20 weeks.  Our training schedule will be about 38 weeks. Each training schedule will come out in 4 weeks blocks so that you can plan that month’s training.

• Your Pilates schedule to help you with alignment, strength and flexibility.
• Your yoga will add flexibility and to help you reduce your stress levels.
• Your on-line nutrition program will help you keep your body fueled properly.

 

A quick overview of the program: 

• We will support you and your training schedule through our various services and partners in the community.
• Your monthly training schedule will appear on Mind Body Balance’s blog along with other support materials.
  • We encourage you to be interactive on this blog. Ask questions, share your self-doubt and share your celebrations so that together as part of the Mind Body Balance community we can offer words of encouragement. Trust me.  If you have a question, others have the same question. 
  • We will also be posting some daily thoughts on Mind Body Balance’s Fan Page on Facebook.
    • There will be days that you don’t want to go out and do your training.  Post this on our Facebook page and maybe you’ll get some inspiration from your other Mind Body Balance community members and/ or find someone who is feeling the same way.  You can meet up to train together that day.
    • Feel free to say, “I train on ‘blank’ days in the ‘blank’ time of day.  Does this work for anyone else?  I’d love to have a partner.”  I’ll be posting mine.
    • The program is being set up so that during the week you can do your training schedule however it works best for you.  The longer training sessions will occur on Saturdays.
      • We will always have a “meet” at the studio (or a location that has been announced) for our group training.  You can choose to come if it works for you, but you are not required to come. As our training times get longer… as we increase our endurance… it is nice to have a group support.  Trust me, not all of us will hit walls at the same time and so someone in the group will be able to take the lead and push us through the hump.
        • Read Gung Ho! By Ken Blanchard and pay particular attention to the “goose” story.
        • We will also have various field trips, running shoes, clothing, and speaking seminars from people who have completed marathons on regular bases.  These field trips have been planned to correspond with our training schedule and to appear when we most need them.

 

I’m asking you to purchase some support materials.

• Chi Running or Chi Walking by Danny Dreyer (about $11 on Amazon or order locally from the Book Nook)
• Your Body Speaks Your Mind by Deb Shapiro (about $13 on Amazon or order locally from the Book Nook)
• A journal that will record your training notes (about $10) and anything that comes up that you’d like to work on in Jane’s workshops,
• A Polar RS300 heart rate monitor ($112 to $200)
• We will have some clothing picked out for us to wear on race day.  You will be asked to cover the cost of this clothing.
• All marathon training from me (and during our Saturday meet-ups) will be free of charge to all clients. 
  •  I think it is important for us to spend this year learning about ourselves and growing our bond as a community at Mind Body Balance (we have amazing individuals to meet),
  • We can set a good role model for our town.
  • It is time to take our training to the next level in a safe way. We are strong.  Let’s not cheat our body! Trust me, while I may be ahead of you in Yoga and Pilates, because of my hamstring injury (that I’ve now procrastinated with) I’ll be starting my cardio over (just as some of you are starting it for the first time).
  • Our overall goal is just to FINISH the race.
    • Our goal is to be done with the race in at least 6 hours.
      • Why?  After this length of time they start opening the streets.
      • This means that we are walking, shuffling, and/or jogging a 13: 45 minute mile or about 4.5 miles in an hour.
      • Please don’t think that we are asking you to flat out run 26.2 miles because we are not.
      • A shuffle is a cross between a fast walk and a slow jog. I think that each of you can participate in some way on this day. If you have concerns please speak to me on an individual bases and I will be candid with you on how I think you should approach this. I will give you a “play it safe” goal and a “stretch for the top” goal. I hope that each of you will pick a “stretch for the top” goal but the choice (as always) will be yours to make and we will respect that choice.

 

Here are some dates to clear on your calendar:

• Saturdays at 3p.m. (unless you are going it alone for the long training days),
• March1 3, 2011 –Shamrocks and Shenanigans 5K run and walk in Ann Arbor (5K run, 5K walk, kids run)
• April 2, 2011 –Martian Invasion of Races Dearborn (5K Run, 10K Run, Kids Run, Half, Relay and Full)
• June 5, 2011 –Dexter Ann Arbor (5K Run, 5K Walk, 10 K Run, 10K Walk, Kids Run, Half)

Then our main event!

• The Detroit Free Press Marathon, October 16, 2011
  • Everyone can participate, including your friends and family if you wish. (5K walk, 5K run, 10K run, Half, Full, Kids Run). Don’t panic this sounds like a lot but I paired up these smaller events with our long training schedules to prepare us for what race day would feel like. We aren’t over training, we are just doing some of our longer sessions in an actual event form.

I will be printing out applications and rules for these events and have them at the studio for you.

Our next blog will cover topics like, What is a marathon? How do I choose my event? How do I decide to participate?

We are also adding more helpful components to our list this year to help you further your training experience.

• Jane V. Lutz, MSN, RN will be here to guide us through some self-growth and interpersonal development. She has been involved in holistic study and healing since 1985. She has taught psychiatric nursing, a variety of holistic classes and meditation. She offers individual and group education sessions and her writings about spirituality have been published. She has been a Mind/Body: Balance client for over a year now.  As we go through this journey you will learn a lot about yourself physically and emotionally.
  • These classes will be held on the 4^th Wednesday of every month at 7:30 p.m. for 90 minutes for $25 at Mind Body Balance.
  • Holly Cramner is a registered craniosacral therapist and creates a warm and open atmosphere in her office where you can really change your health and your life.  Holly is also a client of Mind Body Balance and is participating in the event with us.  Using a holistic healthcare approach, breathing/ visualization classes and homeopathic remedies along with craniosacral therapies, Holly has helped many people cure their ailments, relieve their pain and increase their emotional well-being. She will be holding some breathing classes. As you know, with any movement, breathing is paramount and we need to strengthen this area of our body in order to make it through our events with ease.
    • These classes will be held on Saturdays at noon at Mind Body Balance for $70 for a seven week series or a $12 drop in.
  • Sherri Eby is our Naturopath;  so if you start feeling run down or a little funky, Ask Sherri Eby for natural health information.  She is a Natural Health Educator and body worker, currently training as a Naturopath.  You can get insight on several natural health topics and understand how to apply them per your needs.  Information that she can help you with includes nutrition, herbal supplements, essential oils, body work and homeopathies.  Remember, Sherri is participating in the marathon training and will be encountering some of the same issues that you might be faced with. You can call her for a consultation and she will also be writing an article that you will see in our monthly newsletter “Balancing Act” to give us food for thought. Sherri is also a client and participating in our event with us.
    • Sherri is having natural health education sessions on the 2nd Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m. and the 3rd Saturday of each month at 1:00 p.m.  Please check the Mind/Body: Balance web site for specific dates and topics.  Each session is an hour long for $10 drop in or $35 dollars for a four session series. 
  • We have a list of five massage therapists each specializing in a different area so when you need body work (please be proactive with this) we have you covered Sherri Eby (Mindful Massage on Monroe St), Holly Cramner (The Resolution Center on Monroe Street) , Dawn Bellino (Divine Balance Therapeutic Massage on Telegraph Rd), Lisa Mannosco (located in Zinnen on Telegraph Rd), Rachael Gardner (Mindful Massage on Monroe St).

 

Our local Healthy Food Store “Health Matters,” is owned and operated by Maurine Sharp R.N. ~ Natural Nurse.  In 2004 Maurine’s vision of educating and helping people with health issues became a reality with the opening or her store:

Health Matters Herbs & More
17 E. Second St.

Located in the downtown district of Monroe, MI .

Maurine is a registered nurse, graduating in 1970 from Henry Ford Community College. She has worked in many facets of the nursing field including, hospitals, nursing homes, a doctor’s office and 14 years in mental health working with the developmentally disabled and those with mental illnesses.  Her passion for growing and using herbs began her journey into the field of natural health. Her accreditations include medicinal herbal education with Clayton College Of Natural Health, hands on herbal training with Linda Diane Feldt, a practicing herbalist in Ann Arbor, MI. and continued training.   

  Maurine’s services include personal health consultations, classes on vitamins and herbs, muscle testing, field trips and also a lending library that features a vast array of books on health issues including nutrition and disease.  She is also a great resource for us to pick up quality food for us to fuel our bodies.

The Model Body Fantasy!

Many of us have a passion for the things that we would like to do or to create.  This passion fills us with joy but we sit in our living room thinking that will never happen. Who would want to pay me or finance me?

Many people share their health dreams with me, with friends, with co-workers, with family and some just keep the dream to themselves.  And you know, if we don’t act on these health dreams or passions we will go to our death bed with many regrets and wish I would’ve…….

How many of us wish for these health dreams and hope that one day we will just wake up and be in the body you wish for? How many of us wish we could just play with children with out getting out breath? How many of us want to go walk in the park or woods but are afraid you won’t make it back to your car? How many of us avoid physical activities that we are invited to because you are afraid of slowing down the group? Well, you can sit there worrying or you can get up and do something about it!

Start experimenting with an open mind. Try a Yoga class at a local studio. Try a couple (or five) gyms in your area. Talk with various personal trainers or Pilates Instructors. Join a couple of sport groups at your local YMCA. Look, not all gyms, studios or fitness professionals are made the same. We don’t all have similar philosophies either and we all have different specialties.  You won’t know what will work for you until you pick up the phone, drag yourself to the location or class and do it.

I understand that not all clients are right for me. My philosophies are different because I don’t believe what’s out there is working.  Take a look around.  Do you think its working? I teach self-efficacy and don’t believe in beating up or punishing my clients into good health or a smaller size. Sometimes I get a client that wants that (and yes I could do it for them) but it takes a lot out of me and I know they won’t be successful in the long run. I want my clients to be with me for twenty one months (this is how long it takes to change a lifestyle) and then I want them to only come to me because they want to, not because they need me any more. I want to fill their tool box and teach them self-care tools so that they don’t need me.

Judy Hudson said this “Your body prior to Pilates is like a clump of clay. Pilates sculpts your entire form one Pilates execution at a time. Like a true artist you are never done with your art. You refine, fix, contemplate, experience set backs and move on. Your workout is always a work in progress.” Let’s face it! You may not even know what Pilates is (or given it an honest try) so how do you not know that it will inspire you and change your life. Again, Pilates instructors are not all made the same.  Some are actually teaching it and some are promising to try to teach it.

Once you awaken your body to movement, to the muscle control, to the lengthening of your spine, to connecting your mind and body, you have a new-found awareness of movement throughout your life. You will find strength and energy you didn’t even think was possible.

There is magic in the movement and movement done well is a feast for the eyes to watch.  Sloppy, strained, constricted movement is not pretty to watch and can hurt you. Everyone deserves (and should start with) some private sessions instead of muscling your way through sloppy calisthenics on your own. Just like you wouldn’t think of designing a bridge, a car or a submarine, the human body is no exception.  You need a good design of movement and you need a professional to help you accomplished what that might look like for you. We all have a starting point.  Like the three previous examples, there is an idea in your head of where to start and what the end result might look like.  We all need help with the middle.

I’m not a therapist I can’t help you figure our your fear or your hang up, but I can tell you it is time to get over it and get moving!

Things are Looking Up!

With last year being my twentieth class reunion I’ve learned a couple of things. First off, they always hold them on Thanksgiving weekend which never works for me to attend. I wish they held it during the summer when I could attend. But, thanks to the invention of social media I’ve been able to connect with some old classmates and I’m enjoying learning about their lives. One of my classmates lives in Alaska. I love going to his page and seeing the beauty of the landscape (going to Alaska is a dream of mine). He titled one picture “Things are looking up.” and the camera angle was as if you were lying down at the bottom of the trees and took the picture facing up to the sky. These trees had to be old because they went for what seemed like miles. They were graceful, majestic and wise.

“If you look up, there are no limits.” –Japanese Proverb

A lot of people fail at exercise because they don’t do the “thinking part” to exercise. They just rush right out to the action stage. However, there is a big thinking part to living a healthy lifestyle. You have to have some goals and an action plan to get to your goals. You have to know at what stage of change you are at. You need to know what obstacles might get in your way and plan for them to get in your way. You need to have a strong internal motivator or connection with the real you so that when things get tough you hang in there.

So, I met this guy this week that came into the studio and said “Kim I have to get healthy.”

I said “Great! Have you thought about what it might take to reach your goals? How it might help you and how it might hurt you?”

He said “No! But I want to live and my doctor said I need to start exercising and so the journey has begun.” 

You need to think about what outcome you want? How are you going to get there? What the process might look like? What are you really willing to do, rearrange, sacrifice to get you started on the journey? One lady shared with me that she was going to have to sacrifice eating out at McDonald’s every day in order to afford my services and that she’d have to put in the effort of planning and packing meals in order to do this. In my studio and through my global services that I offer, everyone always gets one free session; it’s just the way I do business. I do this because you need to try on that service to see what it feels like so that you can start believing that it’s possible to get healthy and that you are worth the effort. Not to mention… you may be surprised that with little effort you can actually afford services such as a fitness coach/ personal trainer, Pilates Apparatus classes, Yoga, etc. Don’t let your limiting beliefs slow you down!

I have written a free eBook which you can find at this link http://www.mindbodybalance.com/archive/Plan%20for%20Results%20Ebook.pdf  that goes into more detail of how to plan for success not failure. I hope that it inspires you to become a goal making machine and you start getting healthy today! You will be surprised at how much sooner you reach your ideal self when you have something specific to shoot for!

Are You Wishing or Doing?

I’ve discovered just recently that those clients that call up and say “Well, I can work out at 6 p.m. on Tuesday or 5 a.m. on Wednesday only” just aren’t ready to do what it takes to get healthy. I’ve learned that when I meet their narrow demand that they are surprised, plug along for a few sessions and then develop excuse after excuse until they have exhausted all of them. At that point, we either do some “thinking” work or we part ways and they are encouraged to come back when they are truly ready. Clients are always surprised that I don’t take everyone as a client or that I fire them if they don’t make an honest effort to keep consistency in their program. I don’t do this because I’m perfect or snobby; I do this because it doesn’t do either of us any good to waste each others time or their money if they aren’t ready. Deciding to become healthy is like deciding to go to AA.  You just aren’t ready until you (and only you) are ready to make that change. Your doctor, work schedule, personal trainer, slimming club etc. can’t do the work for you.  Ultimately it comes down to you doing the hard work with guidance and support from others.

Before this life as fitness professional I was a successful manger. With that success came some compromises, one of which was my health. I remember the first day that I was on my way to the gym to meet my personal trainer. It was a beautiful sunny day outside, so she suggested a run before my weight routine. On the way back from my grueling run, I said “I thought I’d only have to do this for 6 months but I’m going to have to do this for the rest of my life, aren’t I?” She smiled back and said “Yep!” Somehow, that task seemed overwhelming. I wasn’t prepared for heroic efforts daily, weekly, monthly, annually. So, I looked for a way that I could sustain a healthy lifestyle forever. For me it was accountability, quality of life and self-efficacy development. Yes, I still struggle. Yes, I still need a coach to make me see that I’m forgetting myself. But, I’m successful because slow and steady wins the race every time!

Are you sitting in your office chair wishing you were healthy? Are you changing your negative thinking to positive thinking by saying your affirmations but then not acting on them? Remember, you just can’t pull weight loss out of the air or find it in a magic pill. Use an affirmation to build positive energy and self esteem so that you feel as though you can start moving.  Create repetition with your workouts both physically and emotionally. The act of “doing movement” along with positive beliefs creates the magic in the movement!

Now I know you’re thinking “Well Sally doesn’t have to do anything and she’s beautiful, strong, thin, etc.” Well great for Sally! Call her up and ask her to be honest about her efforts because I’d love to know what she is really doing and how long it lasts for her.

It is time that you worried about you and only you and your self care. Are you really exercising consistently? Are you sitting down to a mindful meal that is balanced between carbs, protein and fat? Or are you wishing for something that will never come?

“If people only knew how hard I worked to gain my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful at all.” — Michalangelo

Building Self Efficacy for your Fitness Goals is in the Phone!

I believe that my clients are intelligent and that with the World Wide Web they have a pretty good base of knowledge on what they need to do to get healthy. However, I believe the gap in actually accomplishing these goals starts with knowing how to apply this vast world of information to their lives. This is why I believe in Fitness Coaching.  I know you are wondering, “How do I get fit over the phone?”  It sounds a bit gimmicky, right?

Well, have you ever heard of a business coach or a life coach? It is very similar to this; only we are talking about fitness and well-being goals. We develop a personal health plan for you (one that fits your individual life) and helps you overcome your obstacles. The number one reason people are not successful with exercise is because they quit.  This system is designed to keep you motivated and moving, even when your life is busy. The secret is accountability (which most personal trainers don’t share with you).  By holding you accountable to someone other than yourself, the likelihood of sticking to your exercise program increases by over 2200% (yes, that’s really two thousand two hundred percent). Lack of motivation and commitment are the two main reasons why people drop out of an exercise program.

Stanford University has been studying this concept for over 24 years. If you’d like to learn more… Google “Telephone-Assisted Counseling for Physical Activity Cynthia M. Castro and Abby C. King” (Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews, vol. 30(2), pp. 64-68, 2002).

Having a coach that holds you accountable to your goals is like gold. Your coach will guide you so that you don’t get distracted with life as easily. When you are healthy and fit you are energized, ready to lead life with vigor, you pay attention to your self-care. Currently, businesses are looking for ways to cut costs.  So do your part in keeping health care costs down. Start a conversation with your boss about low cost and no cost programs that can help inspire your co-workers to take better self-care steps. Who knows, you may just get healthy and secure your job all at once.

It is also not our doctor’s or healthcare provider’s responsibility to foot the bill to make us well. We need to be responsible for our own body and subsequent health. Did you know that 75% of diseases are preventable and are directly related to the lifestyle choices that we make? Here is a statistic that might be affecting your bottom line right now: obesity is associated with a 36% increase in healthcare spending (more than smoking or drinking). Private U.S. companies report that obesity costs them an estimated $45 billion annually in medical expenditures and work loss (Barrington & Rosen 2008).

Here is a link to a free e-book that I wrote.  Share it with the management at your place of employment:

http://www.mindbodybalance.com/archive/Healthy%20Business%20Next%20Exit%20Please.pdf

I teach my clients self-efficacy because we need to understand that our health is a personal responsibility and healthcare is there to help us in prevention and treatment of disease that we can’t prevent.

Try this affirmation on for size:

I keep a weekly phone call with my fitness coach because it improves my quality of health. My friends, family and co-workers are ringing my phone off the hook just to learn my secret to success.