June 2016 - The Fit Talk

Yikes! Bike rides with kids again.

June 27, 2016June 27, 2016 by Sharon

Well, we had our first ride of the summer season a couple of weeks ago. This turned out to be a very long short ride. After spending too much time getting everything together for the ride (bike rack, hats, water bottles, proper gear etc.), I secured the bikes on the rack and headed for an afternoon of fun, well at least that’s what I thought. I was way too excited. I should have known right then I was living some type of fantasy. Crazy me, I’m still a believer. As I sat in the car line waiting for my son’s school to adjourn I just knew this was going to be the perfect after school event. It only took a nano second for me to wake out of my slumber once he reached the car. “Can we go home before we ride bikes?”, he asked. I replied, “no” we will be really late.” We were meeting some friends and going home would mean we would be at least 30 minutes late. I asked the reason for wanting to go home and of course, this was the one day that he felt like he needed to use the bathroom (yes, it was more than pee). I offered to take him to a public restroom but he insisted he could wait until later. Cool, we are all set. We met up with friends and about one minute after taking bikes off the rack he announced, “I really need to go now.” Luckily we parked at a shopping center so we made a pit stop at our friendly electronic store. Ok, now we are rocking and rolling and maybe after being on the trail for all of 2 minutes he declares, “My butt is hurting” and needs to stop to rest. I oblige and after he also has a drink of water we are all set, for the umpteenth time. Now I am enjoying the ride and I be damned if we aren’t stopping again. His butt is hurting and the handlebar doesn’t feel right, the gears aren’t changing properly. Now, I want to have a meltdown but I’m trying to hold it together. After all, we are riding with friends and I don’t want to look like I don’t have it together, but really I don’t have it together. My friend must have sensed things were falling apart and offered her son’s seat cover for him to try. Jesus is real, because once he sat on that seat cover he took off and rode like the wind. I had to pedal like a mad woman to try to catch up with him, afraid he would try crossing the busy street without supervision. We survived. Whew, still wiping sweat.

So….. I decided I just didn’t get enough and we headed back out again this week. This time, I was feeling like a pro after getting our first ride of the season behind us. First things first, I purchased a seat cover. I picked him up from camp and the first thing out of his mouth is “Are we still going biking?” I replied, “Yes” and his response was “It’s too hot to ride bikes.” So I explained the plans and he insists he still wants to go but was just saying it was hot. I just couldn’t wait for him to try out this new seat cover because I knew it was going to forever change our bike riding experience. We didn’t even make it onto the trail and I hear him say, “I’m gonna take this cover off.” I’m pretty sure I had a fire in my eyes when I asked the reason and he explained it was making his seat too tall. To the rescue again, my friend had a quick fix and lowered his seat. Good save!! Now we are on the trail riding. There were about 10 more abrupt stops and wobbling across lanes. Even though it started off rocky, and we had to stop for tired legs, gear checks, water stops and just because stops, we made our very long short ride of 6.2 miles. Not only did we make it, he even requested to go a little further the next time. And just like anyone who’s a glutton for punishment, I’m sure I will oblige on our next bike ride.

I’m still learning lessons. 1.Perseverance is powerful, and I’m not talking about kids, this was for me. 2. Have all the necessities checked before leaving home (inflated tires, water bottle holder, seat adjusted, seat cover if needed, bug spray etc.) 3. As long as you are moving, fitness is in progress. 4. Take a deep breath and enjoy, believe it or not, it doesn’t last long. Fleeting memories.

Save

A few things I didn’t know or took for granted before running

June 15, 2016July 7, 2016 by Sharon

There are many things I didn’t know before I became a runner… Not to mention the things I am still learning and the things I knew but simply took for granted. I’m thinking back to a time before running on a regular basis and competing in races. I use to see other people up first thing in the morning or late into the evening running and my first thought would be, “they are crazy”. Once I started running I changed my mind about the crazy part. Then my new thought became, once I build up my endurance, I will be able to just get out there anytime and run for miles and miles like the wind. Needless to say, both of my thought processes involved faulty thinking. Now, after doing this running thing for a little while I have some new insights. I have a bit of wisdom I would like to share with anyone considering taking up running as part of their fitness regimen. There are 5 things that have been paramount in contributing to my success in keeping running as part of my exercise routine.

Eating the right breakfast is critical to ensuring a great run. We already know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it gives your body the boost you need to start the day and get moving. It is important to have the right breakfast because exercise requires you to use so much fuel and just like a car if you don’t fuel up you aren’t going very far. Although there are many choices we can make for breakfast all things are not proper to consume before a run. It took me a while, but I learned a few things about what works and what doesn’t. One of my favorite breakfast meals is oatmeal with fresh fruit. However, I quickly learned that high fiber foods are great for my diet but do not work before a run. It’s difficult to make it through a run if you breakfast is literally running through you. There’s nothing like a bacon and egg sandwich with a side of hash-browns but after a breakfast like that, I’m too lethargic and bloated to do much of anything. So the right breakfast for me usually consists of two items, one serving of carbs (toast or bagel) a protein (bacon or sausage) and water.
Foot care is crucial if you plan to have longevity. I know that having the right shoe is important and thought that was my only concern. Let me tell you just how wrong I was for thinking shoes are everything. In addition to offering variety, there is a reason sneaker stores have shoes organized by type of activity; walking, running, cross train, etc. Always make sure to get help when purchasing sneakers. Buy shoes based on your primary activity. If your feet are not comfortable you will not make it very far. Now let me tell you about something I took for granted but learned along the way. Blisters can occur on your feet while running and they are painful. Although there is no way to completely prevent them from occurring, there are a couple of things you can do. Always wear running socks, which means you do not want to wear the traditional 100% cotton socks. Run from cotton. Instead, choose socks made from synthetic materials that reduce friction and moisture which are two of the culprits responsible for blisters.
Stretching is very simple to do but often skipped. I use to think that anything that simple wasn’t important otherwise everyone would be doing it. Well, I was wrong about that too. Stretching allows your muscles to wake up and gets your blood flowing. I equate not stretching to getting in a cold car after it has been sitting all night and immediately turning the heat on high then wondering why it isn’t getting warm. The engine hasn’t had proper time to warm up and do its job. The same thing happens to your body when you don’t stretch. Skipping stretching may add stress to joints and muscles causing injury. I have attempted to run without stretching and each time I experienced problems with my legs or joints. When I stretch before running I have fewer problems. Stretching before and after running are equally important. Stretching allows the body time to cool down and return your heart rate to resting.
Sleeping an 8 hour day is something I thought was overrated. I am a night owl by nature and have never been interested in napping. As a preschooler, I would often run from my great-grandmother because if you ever sat in her lap she would surely rock you to sleep. In kindergarten, I only took a nap one time. As it turns out my mother stopped by to pick me up early but since I was asleep she decided to let me stay at school. I vowed right then, I would never miss an opportunity to do something fun because I was sleeping. Forty years later, I still don’t like naps! Even though I knew getting up for early morning runs would work best for my schedule I didn’t think about how it would impact my evening habits. Initially, I tried to keep my routine of going to bed about 11:30 or after and wake up at 6am for Saturday morning runs. I would barely make it on time and felt groggy during and after my runs and for much of the day. This was crazy, so I broke down and started getting at least 7 hours of sleep, anything less than that I am having a bad run.
Running with friends is never a need, but having a buddy along can be a good thing. There are times when the only companion needed are DMX and Tupac on your playlist or the sounds of the birds chirping as you go running along. Then there are those times that having someone along just makes getting through that group class you were too embarrassed to try alone a little more bearable. It will also make that 5-mile morning run that you were thinking about skipping out on not so daunting after all. Sometimes there is no substitute for having a friend to commiserate with after a tough workout. Nothing is better than having a friend to share in the joy of what it took to make it across the finish line in a race that seemed impossible.

There it is, a snapshot of just a few of the things that I took for granted. I know this is just the beginning of what are many more lessons on the joys of running. Stay tuned as I share more new-found wisdom. What have you learned on your journey to better health?

Save

Staying active with children in tow

June 4, 2016July 7, 2016 by Sharon

Well it’s official, summer vacation has begun for my eleven-year-old son. In between summer camps and time with family, what shall we do? Getting workouts done is still a must. Well, we could go for another one of those very long short distance bike rides where we stop every few minutes for water. I know he means well but when you are hoping to sneak in an 8-mile bike ride things can get a little dicey. I’ve learned that while I am not able to keep my routine workout or schedule, we can still accomplish a lot and have fun. Well, a little fun on some days. In addition to biking, there are other great activities such as swimming, hiking, a group fitness class, or going for a walk/run that you and your kids can enjoy as a family. There are a few things you can do to make sure these activities are filled with laughs and less crying (and I don’t mean the kids either).

Going for a bike ride or jog on the trail is a great way to burn calories. Prepping in advance is essential to making these successful activities. Start by having completely filled water bottles, explaining the bike or walking route and assuring them that lunch or snack will follow definitely helps. Going out on the trails late morning is the ideal time. By then most people have cleared it to head off to work and it’s also late enough so that everyone can sleep in and finish up with the ride just in time for a snack or early lunch. This is a great time to practice interval training. Make it fun by giving them a short distance to run and follow-up by a brisk walk and repeat. When you return to the trail see if you are able to increase your run distance before having to walk. Not to mention, if you decide to bike and they are still learning etiquette while riding on the trails you probably won’t get too many glaring eyes or near miss collisions.
The pool can also be a saver if your child is a pretty independent swimmer. While you are swimming a few laps they can get in a swim with you and maybe even work on their stroke/technique. It’s a good idea to build in enough time at the end so they are able to just have fun and play in the water before leaving. Did you know swimming is a total body workout and one of the top activities for burning calories?

Taking an exercise class together is a great way to get in a workout and maybe even be a team. Participating in family boot camp classes or Zumba will give you the opportunity to get in a total body workout. These classes are a great way to challenge you and perhaps try something new. Keep in mind that if you have younger children some of these classes may last an hour. It fine to leave early because it’s all about having fun. Managing expectations and being supportive is what’s important when starting a new activity.

Hiking is a great way to get to in exercise and explore at the same time. Hiking is about more than exercising and is learning and bonding experience. We’ve learned so much during hiking about the outdoors as well as ourselves while hiking. I’ve even been able to overcome some of my own fears and be simply amazed at how courageous my son has become. Packing snacks and dressing for the occasion is critical.

It also helps to have incentives to take part to get started without a lot of fuss and opposition. Although I would much rather not see electronics while I am outside, I must admit, initially, the DS was a life saver while going for walks. Apparently you are able to collect game coins to use while playing simply by turning the device on while you are walking. Finding friends to go along for a group adventure has always been a motivator, a great way to explore and spend time with my son.

Initially, the thought of participating in some of these activities with my son seemed daunting and even got off to a rocky start. There have been many times I questioned what sane person would even consider taking this on since a headache seemed to outweigh the benefits. However, by the end of what sometimes appears is a “what are you thinking” kind of an ordeal, I am always proud that we stick it out. I know I certainly gain a lot from our experiences and think he does too. Now, let’s see what this summer has in store.

What are some ways you have found to stay active with a child in tow?

Save

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: