Thanks to everyone that left a comment yesterday. I'd love for you all to leave comments everyday and even sign up to follow my blog.
Today I really got back into my normal routine. Up at 5:30 for a 5 mile run and then a second run of about 11 miles in the afternoon. My heel is feeling better, though still not perfect. That's the tricky thing with aches and pains. You have to watch them and back off some days still when you're getting back into serious training. I ice the heck out of it, stretch it, and strengthen the area EVERYDAY! I'm very happy to be out running again and we've had some great weather for it the past few days. The rest of my steps today came from wandering around campus as needed for work. I really like that I am able to get up from my desk and walk around some during the day. I'm an active person, so sitting at my desk all day makes me stir crazy.
I found an interesting article in USA today that explains a lot about why we host a pedometer challenge at AU. I thought that you all might like to read it.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/weightloss/2010-05-23-walking-metabolic-syndrome_N.htm
6/8/2010 | Daily Step Total = 28563
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Beautiful Morning
On Monday I got back into my routine of running in the morning with a 7 mile run. I exercise in the morning pretty darn close to 100% of the time. Going to the pool or getting on the exercise bike in the afternoons, although a good break from running for my body, got me out of my exercise groove a little bit. I like the feeling of getting most of my daily steps in first thing in the morning.
Working out in the morning works well for me for two reasons. The first is that it keeps the exercise time routine for me. I start basically everyday off with a run. Just like I go to work, or to class at a set time, running also has a predetermined time slot in my day. This helps me make sure that there is time for exercise. The second reason that running in the morning is beneficial to me is that it forces me to exercise with low energy levels. As a distance runner, my goal is to be able to run as fast as possible with as little fuel in me. Over the course of a race my body will continually use up my stored energy (glycogen for you physiology nuts out there). By running in the morning before I've had any food, I am able to simulate this low energy state and teach my body to run through it.
Working out in the morning doesn't work for everyone though, especially without eating anything first. In fact, some studies show that you can have a better workout with more health benefits if you consume some calories before working out in the morning. This food provides your body with extra energy allowing you to workout at a higher intensity, which is better for your heart and respiratory health. Some people find that their bodies are tight and tired in the morning. For these people it's best to exercise later in the day. Normal daily activity can help loosen and warm up your muscles, preparing you for a better workout.
What time of day do you exercise regularly or tally up most of your daily steps? Leave me a comment with your response and you'll be entered in a drawing for a gift certificate to the AU Farmers' Market tomorrow!
6/7/2010 | Daily Step Total = 14655
Working out in the morning works well for me for two reasons. The first is that it keeps the exercise time routine for me. I start basically everyday off with a run. Just like I go to work, or to class at a set time, running also has a predetermined time slot in my day. This helps me make sure that there is time for exercise. The second reason that running in the morning is beneficial to me is that it forces me to exercise with low energy levels. As a distance runner, my goal is to be able to run as fast as possible with as little fuel in me. Over the course of a race my body will continually use up my stored energy (glycogen for you physiology nuts out there). By running in the morning before I've had any food, I am able to simulate this low energy state and teach my body to run through it.
Working out in the morning doesn't work for everyone though, especially without eating anything first. In fact, some studies show that you can have a better workout with more health benefits if you consume some calories before working out in the morning. This food provides your body with extra energy allowing you to workout at a higher intensity, which is better for your heart and respiratory health. Some people find that their bodies are tight and tired in the morning. For these people it's best to exercise later in the day. Normal daily activity can help loosen and warm up your muscles, preparing you for a better workout.
What time of day do you exercise regularly or tally up most of your daily steps? Leave me a comment with your response and you'll be entered in a drawing for a gift certificate to the AU Farmers' Market tomorrow!
6/7/2010 | Daily Step Total = 14655
Monday, June 7, 2010
Freestyle
Sunday was my last day of no running. My heel is feeling better so I get to hit the roads again on Monday. In the morning, Joy and I went to church and then to our favorite grocery store - Trader Joe's. We like that store because it offers some pretty healthy, easy to make meals. We also like that the produce is fairly inexpensive. I love their Organic European Style Non-fat Plain Yogurt too. I'm a lactard (that's lactose intolerant for those politically correct people out there), so yogurt is one of the best ways for me to get calcium in my diet. Just add a little honey, stir it up, and you have a great addition to your breakfast.
Back to my steps. Grocery shopping and going to church have both been big contributors to my weekend step totals. Joy and I take the stairs at church and then we go up and down every aisle in the store. They aren't glamorous steps, but it is walking.
In the afternoon I went swimming at AU. I swam freestyle for 45 minutes straight. Swimming is a great non-impact total body workout. Man, my arms get tired from all of that swimming.
6/6/2010 | Daily Step Total = 14401
Back to my steps. Grocery shopping and going to church have both been big contributors to my weekend step totals. Joy and I take the stairs at church and then we go up and down every aisle in the store. They aren't glamorous steps, but it is walking.
In the afternoon I went swimming at AU. I swam freestyle for 45 minutes straight. Swimming is a great non-impact total body workout. Man, my arms get tired from all of that swimming.
6/6/2010 | Daily Step Total = 14401
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Bike it up
I really prefer running to any other form of exercise - I'm a runner so that makes sense. But, in dealing with this heel pain I've been forced to turn to low impact exercise like swimming and bike riding. On Saturday I rode a stationary bike for two hours. Ugh....two hours of staring straight forward. Good thing there was a USA vs. Australia soccer game one. Watching the game while I rode really distracted me from the boredom of exercising in place, inside for so long. The USA won which was another positive. (I'm a soccer nut and so pumped for the World Cup, which starts on Friday).
I wish I found exercising inside entertainment enough, but I just don't. That's part of the reason that I love running. You can run anywhere and explore outside in the middle of your workout. What a cool sport! How does everyone entertain themselves when exercising indoors? I'd love to hear some ideas.
6/5/2010 | Daily Step Total = 31456
I wish I found exercising inside entertainment enough, but I just don't. That's part of the reason that I love running. You can run anywhere and explore outside in the middle of your workout. What a cool sport! How does everyone entertain themselves when exercising indoors? I'd love to hear some ideas.
6/5/2010 | Daily Step Total = 31456
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3
Amy and I had the opportunity to go to Kelly Miller Middle School in NE DC on Thursday and perform free basic fitness testing for some of the staff members. Then on Friday, we experimented a little testing ourselves on SETH and AhealthyU's new cycle ergometer (we also got other new physiological testing equipment but haven't put it all together yet). These two events got me thinking about how important things like health screenings and fitness testing are. In school our progress is documented and tracked through performance on tests. Our health can be tracked in the same way. AhealthyU offers free fitness testing for all faculty and staff members at the University. We'll test your resting heart rate, blood pressure, body composition, cardiorespiratory endurance, VO2 max, muscular endurance, and flexibility. Schedule an appointment with us today - it will be a great way to track the positive impact that the pedometer challenge is having on your health. Send us an email at ahealthyu@american.edu to schedule your FREE fitness test.
On Friday I took another day off from running. I'm having a little problem with my heel and need to give it a little break from all of the pounding. So, today I swam for 45 minutes and then rode the stationary bike for 1 hour. After that I did some basic strength and core conditioning work. I prefer to be out running, but still considered this a great workout.
6/4/2010 | Daily Step Total = 30329
On Friday I took another day off from running. I'm having a little problem with my heel and need to give it a little break from all of the pounding. So, today I swam for 45 minutes and then rode the stationary bike for 1 hour. After that I did some basic strength and core conditioning work. I prefer to be out running, but still considered this a great workout.
6/4/2010 | Daily Step Total = 30329
Friday, June 4, 2010
Double the Workout, Double the Fun
Thursday morning I woke up feeling all tight and achy. It seems that all of that traveling over the weekend caught up with me. I went out for an 8.5 mile run but just didn't feel right. In the afternoon I decided to skip my second run and hit the bike instead. I rode for an hour and was quite happy with my decision.
Sometimes replacing a planned workout with a different activity can really be beneficial for tired, tight, achy, and/or worn out muscles. Repetitive use of the same muscles is a great way to build both muscular strength and endurance for that particular muscle group. But, continued repetition can also increase the likelihood of fatigue or overuse injuries. The best way to avoid these two issues is to switch up your workouts every once in a while. If your normal exercise is walking, you may want to try and take a bike ride once a week. Or, if you swim everyday, getting out of the pool and going for a run will give your arms a break. You can also mix in various types of resistance training and strength/stretching routines like a yoga or pilates class.
What types of replacement workouts or cross training do you incorporate into your exercise routine? Leave me a comment and let me know. You might just win a special AhealthyU prize for doing so?!?!
6/3/2010 | Daily Step Total = 30762
Sometimes replacing a planned workout with a different activity can really be beneficial for tired, tight, achy, and/or worn out muscles. Repetitive use of the same muscles is a great way to build both muscular strength and endurance for that particular muscle group. But, continued repetition can also increase the likelihood of fatigue or overuse injuries. The best way to avoid these two issues is to switch up your workouts every once in a while. If your normal exercise is walking, you may want to try and take a bike ride once a week. Or, if you swim everyday, getting out of the pool and going for a run will give your arms a break. You can also mix in various types of resistance training and strength/stretching routines like a yoga or pilates class.
What types of replacement workouts or cross training do you incorporate into your exercise routine? Leave me a comment and let me know. You might just win a special AhealthyU prize for doing so?!?!
6/3/2010 | Daily Step Total = 30762
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Catching Up
Sorry - I did it again. The long weekend took me away from the computer and unfortunately away from a lot of steps too. That happens sometimes though and I'll just have to work hard to get back on my normal routine. I've found that the best way to get my runs in while handling a busy schedule full of work and school is to establish and stick to that daily routine. If exercise is part of the plan, it is much easier to get it in. I recommend that everyone out there reading try and schedule some exercise into their day - we do it for everything else, so why not for exercise too?
I got to run a little while I was in Georgia visiting my wife's family. Many of the days were busy with celebrating and traveling though which makes getting in steps difficult. Wednesday saw me back in the office at AU, so that was my first "normal" day back.
Saturday I ran 15 miles and then hit up some outlet stores with my wife and brother-in-law. Apparently shopping is a good way to get in steps.
5/29/2010 | Daily Step Total = 29902
Sunday we went to church and then Joy's sister's graduation. Which meant w whole lot of sitting and not much walking at all.
5/30/2010 | Daily Step Total = 5589
I tend to get a little restless when we stay in Georgia, so I scoped out a 5k race for Joy and I to run on Monday morning in Athens. It was hot, humid, and hilly but we went and pounded the pavement anyways. 3 miles of warmup led to the 5k race and the morning was finished up with a 5 mile cool down. I won a cool GEorgia Bulldog mug for coming in first place.
5/31/2010 | Daily Step Total = 23607
Tuesday we drove back to Virginia from Georgia. Oh how I dislike riding in cars for over 6 hours. Joy and I both made sure to get our runs in before the trip started because we were knew we would be too tired to run after the trip.
6/1/2010 | Daily Step Total = 17782
Wednesday was my first day back at AU from the long weekend. I ran 10 miles at home in the morning and spent the rest of the day doing data entry for this very pedometer challenge. You guys are all doing GREAT! Keep on steppin'!
6/2/2010 | Daily Step Total = 19535
I got to run a little while I was in Georgia visiting my wife's family. Many of the days were busy with celebrating and traveling though which makes getting in steps difficult. Wednesday saw me back in the office at AU, so that was my first "normal" day back.
Saturday I ran 15 miles and then hit up some outlet stores with my wife and brother-in-law. Apparently shopping is a good way to get in steps.
5/29/2010 | Daily Step Total = 29902
Sunday we went to church and then Joy's sister's graduation. Which meant w whole lot of sitting and not much walking at all.
5/30/2010 | Daily Step Total = 5589
I tend to get a little restless when we stay in Georgia, so I scoped out a 5k race for Joy and I to run on Monday morning in Athens. It was hot, humid, and hilly but we went and pounded the pavement anyways. 3 miles of warmup led to the 5k race and the morning was finished up with a 5 mile cool down. I won a cool GEorgia Bulldog mug for coming in first place.
5/31/2010 | Daily Step Total = 23607
Tuesday we drove back to Virginia from Georgia. Oh how I dislike riding in cars for over 6 hours. Joy and I both made sure to get our runs in before the trip started because we were knew we would be too tired to run after the trip.
6/1/2010 | Daily Step Total = 17782
Wednesday was my first day back at AU from the long weekend. I ran 10 miles at home in the morning and spent the rest of the day doing data entry for this very pedometer challenge. You guys are all doing GREAT! Keep on steppin'!
6/2/2010 | Daily Step Total = 19535
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