It's Wednesday!

FITNESS

Do you think stretching is working out? Like, if you spent 45 minutes really getting sweaty and you never jumped once, would you consider that a ‘workout’? Even that word workout! It sounds so sweaty and hard! There must be other words we can use to name our efforts to be fit. I have been toying with the word “training”. “Sorry I missed your call, I was just finishing up training.”, or “Do you want to meet me later to train?”. You get me, or no?

I had a crazy training session last week where I did stretching for 45 mins and wow! I was really sweaty! It was hard! Guys, yoga is hard! The breathing was tricky, but once you breathe and focus, it helps to keep you going.

Even if you don’t think yoga is considered training, like I do, one cannot deny, it is CHALLENGING! If you’re looking for some challenging fitness training, try some yoga, it’s pretty intense.

The Fresh Perspective...

Race season is upon us. If you are a runner, you may be thinking of doing a race. Whether you’re a seasoned vet or a beginner, it can be very intimidating to get started. One thing you can always remind yourself is that running is a solo sport. You get to set your own pace, goals and you don’t have to worry about anyone else. There’s no outside pressure so don’t be hard on yourself and enjoy the process.

If you’ve never run a day in your life, my advice is download the “Couch to 5k” app. It’s a perfectly paced 9 week program to ease you into running at a very realistic, comfortable pace. You’ll be so proud when you get to that 30 minute run at the end that you may even want to move on to the 5k-10k program. But one thing at a time. ;)

If you’re already a runner but are looking to try out a race you’ve never done before, good for you! It’s great to push yourself outside your comfort zone. Here are my top tips for race training:

-Talk to other runners who’ve run the race you’re looking to do. Ask what they struggled with during training and during the race. What helped them? You’ll save yourself a lot of grief and googling.

-Get good runners! I cannot stress this enough. It is not worth running long distances in uncomfortable shoes that lack support. Go to a running store, not the mall. Talk to the people who work there and try on 20 pairs. Don’t skimp on price if the fit is right. This is so important.

-Listen to your body. Trust your body. Honor your body. Every body is different and we all run differently. If something doesn’t feel right, give yourself a break. Don’t push yourself too hard. Don’t compare yourself to others. Practice gratitude with every run. You are very privileged to have a healthy body, don’t take that for granted.

Good luck and have fun!

-the fresh perspective…