Water's Such A Drag

So today I swam laps for the 1st time in about 3 months. It was so gorgeous out and one of the swim instructors was telling me how I should join our Masters team. So I wanted to see where I stand.

Yeah...Swimming is hard work. I'm a good swimmer, I swam competitively for a long time, but the endurance is just not there anymore.

I swam fast, but I couldn't keep that pace up for more than 15 minutes. My arms really got a great work out, but it is a completely different whole body work out than running. And because of the limited breathing it can be a much more cardio intensive work out.

The verdict is in and I must do much more swimming. I'm planning on mixing up my workouts and the days I'm at work swimming laps right after at least 2 days a week.

photo by DevilDiver

Winks!

I got the idea for winks from one of my favorite blogs, Desire to Inspire. You should check them out. Nothing to do with health or fitness, but awesome nonetheless.

It's a little late, but better late then never. Winks... the weekend links. A few things I have found to keep you busy through the next week. If you have any ideas or would like to be featured shoot me an e-mail.

Map My Run is a wondeful tool for anyone who likes to run, bike, walk, etc. This website lets you log in (it's free), put in your starting address, and create a course. You can share your courses and find others from your area.


Sports Backers has been named the best sports commission in the country by the National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC) in 2006 and 2009. SB is the best place to go to get information on getting started or continuing your fitness goals, especially in my neck of the woods. They provide support to just about any type of sporting event including training, sponsoring, etc.


Runner's World is the website for the popular runner's magazine Runner's World. It is a great resource for anything running, but general health and fitness as well. RW also includes excelent information for things such as injury prevention, nutrition & weight loss, and motivation.

It's Official!

Wonderful news! I have finally gotten my major officially changed to Exercise Science with a concentration in Pre-Physical Therapy! So excited! I finally feel back in my element and exited about what I'm working towards. Sorry for the lack of posts recently, but more good news! I talked to my boss and my work schedule has changed so I will work more mornings. This way I'll actually have time to work out AND do homework without over exerting myself. So look forward to more posts. Next week can't come soon enough!

Otherwise even though I've had almost a week's hiatus from exercising I have noticed some things that have encouraged me to do better. I'm not happy with how I feel. Not that big of a surprise mind you, but it does help in looking at future work outs with a positive attitude. Better yet, junk food doesn't taste that good anymore. I didn't realize I wasn't eating a lot of it, until I was bad and had some ice cream, and I just wasn't into it. Even better... You know what I'm craving? Hummus! All I can think about is how much I want hummus. So tomorrow I'm gonna splurge on my college kid budget and get some. Then I'm gonna look up some recipes so I can start making my own. I'll leave you all with that!

Have a great weekend! I'll try to get a few WINKS (weekend links) on here soon.

Burn More Calories on the Daily!

Here's a few things to work into your daily routine to help you burn calories and get some subtle exercise.

1. Take the Stairs: No Elevators. Take the stairs, no matter how many flights you go. In a few weeks you'll notice your upper legs and ass are getting tighter. I'm so used to taking the stairs now that I don't even realize it until I'm on the 5th floor and I'm telling myself "F* that!"... It's a good thing tough.

2. Bike/Walk/Run Where You Need to Go: Do it. It's gonna suck at first, but if you gradually integrate it into your routine (even just 2 days a week) not only will you notice it in your waistline, but how you perceive yourself. Not to mention the money you will save from not using your car is astounding. It's sets a good example to others, especially kids, and you're shrinking your carbon footprint all at the same time. Hell Yeah!

3. Weights: Wear them around the house. Believe it or not there are weights you can attach to your body. They come in weights that are attachable to your ankles, wrists, and even full vests. I personally recommend the ankle ones. They don't have to be heavy (I wear 5lb ones, but they come at weights lower than 1lb). You will be amazed at the difference wearing them will make. You can wear them just while you're at home. While you're out at work, running errands, etc you will feel an amazing difference in how much more energy you have.

4. Suck It In: Seriously. Sucking your navel and especially your lower abdominals in gives your abs a great work out. Some people say to suck in and release repeatedly, but I prefer to hold it in as long as possible. Shoot for 24/7. The reason being, after making a conscious effort to do this all day, every day, your abs will stay in and tense without you thinking about it. Imagine that. By sheer will power you have just lost an inch or so around your waist. In addition to that, this is also a great exercise in will power to prepare you for even bigger steps.

7 days!

Exactly one week since my last post. Last week was a complete whirlwind. First off we had friends come from England that will be staying the whole month, I had the worst schedule with work, and school picked up speed. Then come Friday after my 5 AM shift, I ran my best run yet only to completely crash after I ate lunch. Crashing from my lack of sleep and non-stop working not the run...that left me energized. So needless to say I have spent much of this weekend recovering and catching up on my daily tasks.

Today I started my day out great! I got up early and went for a run. It was wonderful not having to worry about it when I got off work/school. I have decided that every month I'm going to add a mile to my run and hopefully after Christmas I will have the money to join a Triathlon training team. I have always wanted to do it, but I am seriously self conscious about my bike riding skills not to mention my old ass bike. It's in good shape, but everyone around here is so damn snooty about their equipment.

Is anyone else bothered by this? I think it's ridiculous. My attitude is if you have the balls to go out and try something new, to make that effort to get in shape no matter what your situation you deserve all the respect in the world.

Shoe Suggestions

While many women may love shoes, trainers/running shoes can often be a completely different story. It may be socially acceptable to put looks before comfort when buying a pair of shoes, but when it comes to tennis shoes this is completely unacceptable. I for one am extremely picky about shoes no matter what their purpose is. I had bunion surgery in the 10th grade and a lot of subsequent foot problems so this is quite the issue to me and I encourage you to make it an issue as well.

Here are some tips to picking out good shoes. *Note* This is my personal opinion, no one person's foot is the same. Always consider yourself not others.

1. Money Matters: Don't be stingy about your shoes. Find a shoe that is comfortable. That if need be, you could spend all day in them and not want to saw your foot off. Otherwise you're just asking for more problems. So many body aches and pains originate from your feet. Don't set yourself up.

2. Try Them On: Never. I repeat NEVER purchase a pair of shoes without wearing them. That's just stupid. The only time this is acceptable is if you have a particularly trusted brand of shoes, and they are not meant for working out.

3. Don't Rush It: You should never plan a quick trip to get a pair of trainers. Take as long as necessary to find the right shoe and do not settle for anything that is less than perfect for you.

4. What's Your Foot Type?: This is crucial to buying running shoes. Many shoes don't offer proper support for your feet. You shouldn't have to buy inserts if you get the proper shoe in the first place.

4b. A common foot type is high arches, or it's opposite flat feet. To find out what type you have try this simple foot test from runnersworld. When you have high arches like I do and you don't have good arch support in your shoes, your heel, toes, and the ball of your foot absorb all the shock from your feet slapping the ground as you run.

5. Size Matters: Keep into consideration that your feet swell when you run. If the shoes you are trying on fit your foot too snug, they will probably feel too tight and painful when you are running. This can also be felt as random numbing in your toes or other parts of your foot resulting from pinched nerves.

6. Insoles: If you wear insoles bring them with you. Otherwise how would you know whether or not they will fit in your new shoe?

7. Get Some Help: Many people like to be left alone while making a purchase. I know I do, but don't be afraid to ask for help. Salespeople know what products are on the market and they know feet. They can help you make an informed decision. So help them out by giving them the right info...what type of running you do, how often you run, where you typically run, and what type of surfaces you run on.

8. NO!: Don't be afraid to say no or give yourself a day or so to digest what you've tried on. You'd be amazed at how your mind will lead you to think shoes are better than they are because you are carried away by either their looks or all the wonderful things the salesperson said.

Yesterday and Calorie Cutting Tip

I got lucky yesterday. Thanks to the weather I didn't need to go into work and instead I managed to get a lot of stuff done. While on campus I met up with one of my friends and had a major untouchable item. Starbucks. I don't even like it. It doesn't taste like coffee and it has enough caffeine to make your eyelids twitch off your face. But alas, I had a gift card so I split the drink with a friend.

If you do like stuff like Starbucks, it needs to be a treat item, not a daily staple. That's where that extra 10 lbs is probably from on those of you who drink it on the regular.

Then I did something even better! I got buffalo wings. It was a deal so the same friend and I split the meal. I know all this sounds terrible, but do you know what I did after that?

I went for a run. That's right. It was the first wonderfully cool day and I couldn't resist. (Not to mention I couldn't live with the guilt). It was horrible, but I did it. I don't regret a thing. It's fine to eat like that once in awhile especially if you use it to motivate yourself to do more.

*Special Calorie Cutting Tip* (and a quick way to shed pounds)
Get rid of your sugary drinks. Coffee, soda, anything, not even juice. Get fresh fruit instead. It's better for you. Drink water. Only water. That's what we are biologically meant to drink so let's keep it that way. You will be amazed at how things will change. Soda will become a treat (I can only handle 1/4 of a can) Need more convincing? Drinking soda decreases bone density in women. No good.