A Mixed Bag

So we’re still in February and you are dreading another run on the treadmill? It’s part of a common collection of wintertime blues. If you are finding it difficult to remain motivated at the gym while Old Man Winter flexes his muscles, the time is right to mix up your training. My normal training this time of year usually consists of watching ESPN on the treadmill while feeling like a hamster stuck in its exercise wheel. To beat the monotony of running, I’ve found that cross training has a wide range of benefits. I’ll highlight some of the alternatives that I’ve found recently.

Basketball

I used to play hoops all the time in high school and college. Getting back to your adolescent roots certainly is refreshing. Plus being on a team really provides the camaraderie that individual sports just do not provide. I’ve recently found a great group of guys to play with regularly on Friday nights. Now this is my type of Guy’s Night Out! Plus it’s a girlfriend approved activity. Talk about scoring points on and off the court!

Massage

I’ll come out and say it. I just don’t think that most guys get enough massages. There certainly is a stigma that if you are a macho man (Sylvester Stallone) that receiving a massage would make a guy too feminine (Ryan Seacrest.) While I am neither macho nor feminine (Paul Walker), I do believe that balance is the key. I’ve been receiving regular sports massages and I can attest that my running has improved and the chance of injury has decreased. If you’re an athlete, then you really can’t expect more from lying around for an hour or so.

Yoga

I’ve done yoga a handful of times before, but most recently I tried 90 minutes of hot yoga. What an experience! I found the heat to be tolerable and actually quite invigorating in the middle of winter. Sometimes a really good sweat can feel oh so good! But here’s a tip for the guys, don’t try to compete with the women in the classes. You are most likely going to lose and lose badly. This may be the one sport/exercise where guys need to feel comfortable taking a back seat. Does anybody remember Bobby Riggs vs. Billie Jean King? I don’t but I Googled it.

Vegetable Medley

Do you remember those terrible vegetable medleys that you were coerced into eating as a kid? While those left a bad taste in your mouth, I think that if you give some sort of exercise alternatives a serious try, it will much more palatable. The winter season won’t seem so long and your body will thank you when spring finally does arrive!

-RJ Lott

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What's the Deal With Ezekiel Bread?

Anyone who reads health and fitness magazines, blogs or websites has probably been introduced to Ezekiel bread...in text at least. So what IS Ezekiel bread and why is it a better choice than whole wheat or whole grain bread? Here's the lowdown:

What Is Ezekiel Bread?

Ezekiel bread is a bread made from sprouted grains. It's manufactured by Food for Life. According to the company, using live, sprouted grains increases the nutritional content of their breads and bread products. The term Ezekiel Bread comes from the book of Ezekiel in the Bible. (link to Ezekiel 4:9)

What Are Sprouted Grains?

Sprouting is the process of soaking seeds in order to bring about germination. Many seeds can be sprouted through this process. For instance, the most commonly known sprout is the alfalfa sprout. Wheat berries, spelt, rye and quinoa can also be sprouted. Food for Life uses a variety of grains in their Ezekiel bread products. According to Food for Life, sprouting is the only process that allows all of the nutrients in grain to be released. It also converts the glucose in grains to maltose, which may be more easily handled by the body without causing insulin spikes. It is for this reason that sprouted grain breads may be appropriate for some low carbohydrate diets and diabetic diets.

Ezekiel 4:9 Bread

When Food for Life sprouted the grains in the Bible verse and combined them, they found that the Ezekiel bread contained a complete protein similar to protein found in milk and eggs. The Bread contains all nine amino acids from vegetable protein sources. This makes it ideal for vegetarians and vegans. Ezekiel 4:9 bread is low in carbohydrates with just 15 net carbohydrates per slice of bread. The carbohydrates in the bread are of a more slow burning type that don't cause large spikes in blood sugar. It is a low glycemic index product that is appropriate for diabetic diets. It is also high in fiber.

The 4:9 bread contains sprouted wheat, barley and spelt so it is not gluten-free; however, Food for Life says that the active enzymes in the sprouted grains does make the gluten in it more digestible. People with gluten intolerance and Celiac disease should check with their health care provider and proceed with caution before trying the Ezekiel 4:9 bread products. Sprouting changes the way wheat is handled in the body. Check with your doctor if you have a wheat allergy.

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They Invented Cars

People are mysterious creatures. Supposedly, men are from Mars and women are from Venus. It doesn’t depend where you are from; one thing is for certain, exercise is essential for every body (everybody). Of all the workouts available to humans, I prefer to run. You know, of the feet to pavement variety. Here are my top ten reasons why I choose to run:

10. Running is inexpensive. Most of the time, all that I need are a pair of shoes and shorts and a shirt. This allows me to write and not bounce, all of the checks to my exes. They live in Texas. Yee-haw!

9. If I choose to go all DB Cooper sometime in the future, I’ll be in tip top shape. I want to be prepared when I am on the lam. I hear that the arms of the law are long but I’d prefer to not find out.

8. I know the layout of my neighborhood better than anybody else. It’s truly amazing what you can find/see while running. It’s nearly impossible to see all the details while driving through residential neighborhoods at 30mph.

7. I’m trying to make chicken legs sexy. I feel like this revolution has quite the trip ahead of itself. How am I doing so far? BTW, do you ever notice that distance runners have proportionally larger heads? Maybe I am from Mars!

6. Running gives me a little caloric leeway. Hey, I like to eat. My number one food vice? Red licorice, hands down. I have the unfortunate ability to eat it by the pound and not notice.

5. I get to be alone. Don’t get me wrong, I am a super social guy. Running lets me think or lets my mind be free. Long runs are cheaper than therapy, so I’ve heard.

4. It gives me an excuse to have way too many shoes. As an overly macho guy, I need to have reasons to have a dozen plus pairs of shoes piled in my closet. Just don’t let the guys know, my street cred is at risk.

3. You ran how far today?” I continually amaze friends and family at distances covered while running. They’ll say that I don’t need to run so many miles. “They invented cars for that.”

2. I get a valid excuse to travel. I’ve raced in Seattle, Portland, Eugene, Sacramento, Long Beach, San Diego and Phoenix. Running will allow me to chill by the pool in Phoenix come January. Ah the perks!

1. Someday, my future children will think that I am a rock star. Pheidippides, Jesse Owens, Steve Prefontaine, Josh Cox and RJ Lott. We are all running legends.

-RJ Lott

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Obstacle Push-ups

Amp up regular push-ups by adding either obstacles for your feet (ie. plyo-boxes) or your hands (ie. medicine balls).


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Motivational Moment

 

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Katherine's Transformation

MY STORY

At the end of August 2011 I felt like I had hit rock bottom. Physically speaking, I was so far from the person I used to be and wanted to be, that I didn’t know what to do. Four years prior, during my first pregnancy, my husband started running marathons and got really fit. Because of complications during that pregnancy, I was put on physical activity restrictions and couldn’t exercise. I gained 50 lbs and unfortunatly, my body held on to more than 20 of that after delievery. I wanted to lose the weight but it took almost an entire year after my daughter was born before I even felt like I was in a place where I could try to fit exercise into my life. I felt increased pressure from people who knew my husband, to be a runner like he was but the truth was, I couldn’t even run a quater of a mile without stopping and I hated it. My best friend and I signed up for a 5k and we ended up walking most of it because of me. After that, I stopped working out completely.

Right before I got pregnant with my second child, I started working out again, mainly in an effort to lose the extra weight from my first pregnancy, so I could be in better shape during my second one. At the time, a friend of mine, who I considered to be a crazy “exercise addict”, referred me to a personal trainer she had used before. I started going two times a week and spent a large sum of money to do so in the hopes that I could quickly lose all of the weight. But you know what? Although she was in great shape and very knowledgeable, she didn’t really help me at all. I dreaded going to my sessions with her, and I never understood what I was supposed to be doing or the purpose behind the type of exercises she was having me do. We never talked nutrition or about lifestyle changes. I would leave workouts feeling frustrated almost to the point of tears, and would be so sore that I wouldn’t do anything else until my next session with her. I continued to go because I wanted to lose weight, but I didn’t feel like I was benefitting from the sessions, and eventually I quit going.

I did lose about 8 lbs before I got pregnant again, but I attribute that weight loss to a change in my eating habits, not exercise. Soon after I lost those 8 lbs, I found out I was pregnant but also had some other major life changes occur that caused some extreme stress. Although I worked out more during my second pregnancy, I still didn’t have any idea how to properly exercise and found myself aimlessly wandering among the weight machines at the gym, doing random exercises here and there in hopes of making some progress. Guess what? I still gained almost 60 lbs before my son was born. In all honesty, there were other physical factors that played into that weight gain, including problems with gestational diabetes and the fact that my baby weighed in at over 10 lbs at birth. However, even after all was said and done, I was 40 lbs overweight and didn’t seem able to lose anymore of it. Complete frustration set in.

Growing up I was always a skinny girl who never had to watch or even cared about my weight. I ate what I wanted and never did any kind of formal exercise beyond dancing, which was my passion. I danced during middle and high school and weighed a steady 112 lbs all throughout my teenage years.

Even though I never worried about my body weight, I grew up very aware of my family genetics and the type of body shaped I was bound to end up with if I didn’t make some changes. I grew up with a mom who always complained about her weight, but never seemed to do much about it in terms of steady exercise or healthy eating. I knew I didn’t want my daughter to grow up the same way. I was constantly complaining to my husband about my post baby body and yet, I wasn’t committing to any steady exercise and I certainly wasn’t watching what I ate. I don’t believe in dieting. Diets NEVER work, and believe me, I’ve seen them all. Ironically, I used to work as a registered nurse at a medical weight loss clinic and I came across several patients who had tried every magic pill or diet plan out there. From the Hollywood Cookie diet to Atkins to HCG, there are several ways to lose weight quickly, but in the end, a lifestyle change has not been made and the weight always comes back plus some. I knew the key to effective weight loss was lifestyle changes, I just wasn't sure how exactly how to go about making those changes.

My husband and I moved to Arizona in August of 2010 when my son was just 6 weeks old. Two days after moving, we went down the street and joined the local gym. I tried setting up some personal training sessions, but the gym screwed some things up administratively, and in the end I didn't get any. I started taking classes and running, and even did a Ragnar Relay and a mud run a few months later. I was able to lose some of the baby weight over the course of the next 8 months, but I couldn't seem to lose much more. I frequently watched people at the gym and wished that I could be as confident about my workouts as they were, and wished I was in as good of shape. There was one one woman in particular who seemed close to my age and always had it together. She knew what she was doing and did it with confidence. Plus, she looked great. I kept wishing I could work out with someone like her. My husband and I again discussed the possibility of getting me a trainer, and then I remembered that a woman in my church group had a sister who was a personal trainer. My husband got the info for me and I decided to call and set up an appointment for a training session. Guess what? The woman I used to watch at the gym all of the time? She ended up being the trainer!

I started training with Bri on Labor Day 2011. I threw up after my first session and felt like I might die, but that day I made a commitment to myself that I was all in, and willing to do what it took to lose the weight and get healthy. I talked with Bri about lifestyle changes I needed to make, and we came up with a realistic exercise plan and weight loss goals. No longer did I feel clueless or uninformed, instead I felt knowledgable and empowered. Over the course of the next four months I continued to train with Bri two mornings a week, and worked out on my own at least three other days. I did a combination of strength training ad cardio, mostly running. I tightened up on what I was eating, making lifestyle changes, NOT dieting. I learned the principles behind clean eating, and together with my husband and our two small children, made nutrition changes for our whole family. I weighed myself weekly and kept track of the changes, not letting the small numbers get me down. As the weeks went by, those small numbers started to add up, but more importantly, my body started to change. I lost fat, built muscle, and became strong in more ways than just physical. I won't say it was always easy, but it was definitely worth it.

By Christmas I had exceeded my weight loss goals, and in those four months I went from 155 lbs to 128 lbs, and I feel like a new woman. Since that time I have continued to exercise regularly and make healthy food choices, with the occasional treat. In the spring of 2012 I ran another Ragnar Relay and my first 1/2 marathon, quickly followed by another 1/2 marathon this summer. My weight has stayed consistent and while I don't look like a Victorias Secret supermodel, I'm happy with my post baby body and I've never felt better. I've heard some people think I am now an "exercise addict" but truthfully, I'm just an average 30 year old busy wife and mom who takes time each morning for ME. I figure if I am healthy and happy, my family will be too!

My take home message to anyone out there is YOU CAN DO IT! Take charge of your life and make a change. Only YOU can become the person you want to be, no one else can do it for you. Set goals, commit yourself, and do whatever it takes to make the lifestyle changes that will help you reach your goal. Don't let excuses hold you back. Everyone has time to be healthy, you just need to make it a priority. Be realistic, work hard and you'll get there. Don't let the bumps and bruises along the way get you down. Take your life back and own it! In the end it will be worth all the blood, sweat and tears, and I can promise you will never regret the person you will become. Love yourself and make it happen. YOU can do it

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Get Your Elbows off the Table

I am comfortable announcing that I am not perfect. I’m also confident that nobody else is either. This is very important to remember, unless you can part the seas or your name is Michael Jordan. Or you can dance flawlessly to Gangnam Style. We are responsible for our actions, intentionally malicious or accidentally misinterpreted. 

The population of my local community is relatively small compared to a large metropolitan area. We’ve got about a quarter of a million people within a half hour radius. Smaller communities have their bonuses as well as their drawbacks. Around here, it’s not uncommon for me to bump into somebody that I know at a random social event. I believe that this is good because I am not able to mask my behavior with the law of large numbers. I’m held accountable for what I say and who I am.

99 percent of the time, I’m happy about where I live. I’m particularly grateful for the circuit of races that are held here locally throughout the year. They are generally held without much fanfare; Carrie Underwood has yet to sing the national anthem and there are no after parties held by Ryan Seacrest. This makes running races easy and fun.

Whether you’re participating in the New York City Marathon or your local Halloween Pumpkin 5K, one thing is paramount; get your elbows off the table! While generally not an issue, manners at road races or the gym or the local bernina retailer appear to be slipping. Unfortunately, I’ve heard words and witnessed actions recently that are unbecoming of a fellow racer. This is a cardinal sin.

I joke and play more than anyone that I know, but I have never insulted or belittled another runner. Each of our circumstances is different. The slightly overweight guy struggling with a 15-minute mile may have just lost a hundred pounds. Don’t snicker at him because he’s in last place; always applaud.  Another racer may just have defeated cancer, or had a baby or is participating in her first race.  You’ll never hear me laugh at another’s effort. Esprit de corps is so very important.

When I run or race or flail about on the treadmill at the gym, I’m pretty tuned in to what I need to accomplish. How can I improve? Can I run faster? Should have I reconsidered washing my running shorts? It’s ok to be a little self-centered. It’ll help erase the stresses of the day. Trust me, my crowsfeet are not cavernous.

Although I might quietly question another’s choice in exercise apparel, I’m upbeat and encouraging. I swear that I’ve seen it all being worn. Some of the clothing is enjoyable and some not so much. But that should be a different post altogether. Positive encouragement should be required of fellow competitors. Remember, that having kismet on your side is always nice. You don’t want your karma running over your dogma.

-RJ Lott

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