Running!

Hey guys! Thanks for following my new blog - all nine of you! Today I'm going to talk about the often- brutal, always-rewarding world of long-distance running. I had some time to ponder the words of wisdom I wanted to offer my followers as I trudged through a 5.08-mile run today along the Ventura State Beach promenade. I bet you're wondering how I know so precisely the distance of today's torture trot, aren't you? I am a huge fan of Gmaps pedometer by Google, which allows you to trace your route via satellite images, while tracking elevation levels, mile markers, and even calories burned! Check it out: http://gmap-pedometer.com/ If you want to view the route I did today, here it is: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3468018 . Pretty cool, right? I found this to be a valuable tool while training for the L.A. Marathon in 2008. Not only can you use the pedometer to trace your route post-run, you can outline a route prior to your run. If your goal is to tackle 3 miles, you can map the appropriate route before you run, memorize or print it out, and get after it! This way you avoid playing the how-far-have-I-gone and is-it-okay-to-stop-now guessing game right smack in the middle of your run, which can cause added mental stress. And believe me, running is challenging enough for your mind without having to guess mileage in your head along the way.
But I have digressed slightly. I want to acknowledge that as a personal trainer I'm well aware that not everyone is a runner. In fact, I'm certain many people would rather subject themselves to various forms of abuse before jumping on a treadmill - since running itself  is considered the ultimate torture by many. Despite this, I still encourage my clients and you, my faithful blog followers, to give it a try. I've found that nothing relieves stress and resets my mental state like a good run. Nor is there any activity I've tried that makes me more excited about reaching a goal. If I lift a few pounds heavier at the gym, it's nice. If I can get to the end of a spinning class and not want to keel over, it's a good feeling. But when I finish that 10-mile goal run, I am ecstatic! I'm not sure why this is so, but I imagine it has something to do with the fact that running allows me to cover great physical distances with nothing but my own two God-given legs. It is a powerful experience to witness firsthand the endurance the regular human body can sustain. Anyways, grab a tissue and dry your eyes, and let's make a plan.
If you have never run EVER, and are not presently engaging in another form of exercise, start with short intervals: Run one minute, walk four minutes. Repeat until you get to 20 mins. For those who are currently getting moderate exercise and would like to give running a try, start with this interval: Run three minutes, walk for two minutes. Repeat until you get to 40 minutes. And for those who enjoy running but want to increase your distance, develop an interval that works for you - meaning allows you to meet your distance goal no matter what. (For the this group of runners, time isn't the goal, but distance.) Perhaps running four minutes, walking one minute; or running eight minutes, walking two minutes would be appropriate.
But isn't walking cheating, you ask? Absolutely not - at least not while we beginners are trying to build a solid running base. By taking those walking breaks, no matter what your goal is, you allow your muscles to operate differently for a short time and get a break from the repetitive running stride, while allowing your heart rate to decrease and rest for a bit as well. You will be surprised at how much longer you can last by allowing yourself these brief recoveries. And, working hard for short one-or three-minute timeframes does wonders for your mental strength. Think about it. Most beginners shudder at the thought of running 30 minutes without stopping. But you can do just about anything for one minute right? Or even three minutes? Something even as daunting as, I don't know, running! See my point? Even if you feel you can run through the walking portion of the interval, still take the break! You may run out of gas towards the end of your run if you don't.
Then, once these initial intervals seem easy, change the ratio of running to walking so that you are replacing a "walking minute" with a "running minute." Pretty soon...ALL your minutes will be running minutes! Once you are running 40 minutes without stopping (which should put most people at about 4 miles, assuming they are running 10-minute miles), you can begin focusing on distance rather than time, like the third group of runners I mentioned previously. Remember, the most important thing when you are first building your running base is to keep moving until you've met your time or distance goal. Even if you end up canning the interval idea and walk the last 10 minutes or the last mile, it's okay! Just don't quit before you meet your time or distance goal. Make sense? And no running on consecutive days! You will surely injure yourself or burn out on running before you've even started if you don't allow at least one day of rest between runs. You may do another form of exercise on these days, but remember that rest from any workout routine is as important as the workout itself. But that is a blog topic for another day!
This running business may sound complicated, especially for such a straighforward activity, but know that these are merely suggestions I'm offering, based upon my own experience and education, that I feel might give an aspiring runner some kind of initial guideline to follow. Everyone is different, and running may come more easily to some than others. But I believe if you are willing to work hard you can become an avid runner, and just about anything else you want!  Thanks for reading!
For more info on running, visit: http://www.runnersworld.com/

To your health,
Amanda.

Blogging: Day 1

Well hello everyone. I've started this blog to share with the world my love for fitness and the experience I've gained working in the industry as a personal trainer. I hope to offer my followers useful information about how to reach fitness goals by passing along some of what I've learned to you all. Thanks for joining me!