June 11, 2010

Free Triathlon Skills Clinic 6.13.10

If a Triathlon is in your future – YOU are invited to attend – this Sunday!

ALL the participants from last year’s WoW! Tri Clinic were very well prepared for their first Triathlon. I hope you’ll make plans to attend!!  Feel free to forward.  (The more the merrier for our practice mass swim start.)

Hope to see you there!

April

Swim, Bike, Run, & FUN!
Triathlon Skills Clinic

Sunday June 13, 2010
9:00 am – 10:30 am
Sandy Creek Park

(We will meet in parking lot at beach/swim area)

Clinic will focus on:

• Open Water Swimming
• Transitions
• Skills and Tips for the Bike
• Skills and Tips for the Run
• Race Day Nutrition
• Race Day Strategies

What to Bring:

• This is a hands-on clinic so come ready to swim, bike and run. Come packed and ready for a triathlon.
• No charge for clinic but there is a $2.00 Park Entrance Fee

RSVP to workoutwarriors@bellsouth.net

Presented by:       Michael Williams

Michael Williams
WoW! Fitness Group
USA Triathlon Level I Certified Coach
Ironman Finisher, Louisville Ironman 2009
Co-Active Life Coach, CTI
706-338-4221

May 11, 2010

Barberitos and WoW! Boot Camp Announce the Winner of the Rolling Lean Contest

After four weeks and many entries, Barberitos and WoW! Boot Camp selected Chris Conley, an Athens area resident, to win the “Rolling Lean” contest. Chris has recently lost over 100 pounds and plans to keep losing weight and take his fitness regimen to the next level with WoW! Boot Camp. As the winner, he will receive three months of WoW! Boot Camp membership, including pre and post assessment, nutritional coaching, 25 Gift Certificates for 7 Under 7 entrees at Barberitos, and a gift basket with all the gear he needs to begin WoW! Boot Camp on May 4th.

In August 2008, weighing over 300 pounds, Chris pledged to make a serious effort to get healthy in order to spend as many years as possible with his beloved wife and son. By August 26th 2011, which will mark his 45th birthday, he plans to reach his wellness goals and target weight. Since August of 2008, he has lost over 100 pounds and plans to continue his progress. Most recently, Chris set a new goal; to run a 5k within the next year. When he entered the “Rolling Lean” contest, he had been incorporating exercise into his routine for just three weeks and felt that, if he won, WoW! Boot Camp and Barberitos would certainly help him reach his newest goal.
“In some ways, I think this contest may have been specially designed for me”, remarked Chris of the Rolling Lean Contest. “I haven’t been able to find many ‘fast’ food options that I enjoy eating but which mesh with my goal range of 1,500-1,880 calories per day. Barberitos’ healthy salad is a big exception to that rule – I love it, and feel good about eating it”, and concerning his fitness goals, Chris said, “From what I have heard, even with my current state of ‘fitness’, WoW! Boot Camp is just the type of program I need to help me meet this next goal along my path to fitness”.

Barberitos is committed to providing fresh, healthy food to its customers and will never compromise this philosophy. Many customers choose to select items from the “7 Under 7 Menu”, which is comprised of seven meals under seven grams of fat. These menu items include the Mini Chicken Burrito, Bare Burrito, Regular Salad, Char-grilled Chicken Salad, Guacamole Salad, Soft Tacos, and Fish tacos which are available on Fridays.

April Williams, an Athens resident, began WoW! Boot Camp in order to encourage individuals to change their behavior patterns and choose a healthier lifestyle. WoW! Fitness programs provide an energetic team atmosphere that helps participants lose weight and gain strength, endurance, and self-confidence. “Helping people reach their fitness goals and feel great is what we do. We can’t wait to make Chris and official WoW! Boot Camper so that he can experience the joy of the WoW! lifestyle!” said April Williams.

Chris Conley begins the Men’s WoW! Boot Camp Class on Tuesday, May 4th. Pepe, the Barberitos mascot, will be there to present him with his gift certificates, warm up with him, and cheer him on as he begins his journey of “Rolling Lean”. Together, Barberitos and WoW! Boot Camp are thrilled to help Chris Conley reach his goals of losing weight and feeling healthy. For more info on WoW! Boot Camp contact www.wowbootcamp.net.

February 26, 2010

Barberitos & WoW! Boot Camp Present: Rolling Lean Contest!

Enter Contest for a chance to Win
Free Boot Camp 
&
Free Food!

Update 4/15/2010: The contest is now closed. The winner will be announced soon.

Barberitos and WoW! Boot Camp will award one deserving Athens Area resident with the following prizes:

• 3 (consecutive) months of WoW! Boot Camp membership.  This includes Pre & Post Camp Consultations, nutritional coaching & unlimited email support.
• 25 Gift certificates for Healthy 7 under 7 meals at Barberitos.
• WoW! Boot Camp Goodie Basket.
• Opportunity to lose weight, reduce stress, increase energy & focus, have fun & meet some new friends.

It’s REAL simple!

Send us an email.  Share why YOU think you deserve to win the “Rolling Lean with Barberitos and WoW! Boot Camp Contest”.

EMAIL ADDRESS:  workoutwarriors@bellsouth.net
SUBJECT LINE:  Rolling Lean Contest

February 17, 2010

My Tight Jeans vs. Wine, cheese biscuits & German Chocolate Brownies…

German Chocolate Brownies & friends!

So Friday night I tried on a pair of jeans I hadn’t put on in a while.  OMG!  They were tighter than “Oh! These got put in the dryer” tight.  A mini-closet rage/fit ensued – I pulled myself together then vowed to get my butt back in those jeans.  They’re my smallest pair (I know I’m not huge by any means), but I definitely feel my best when things are smoother & taunt (and can wear those jeans comfortably)…so here we go.  1^st opportunity:

ME (and my tight jeans) vs Cheese biscuits, wine & Homemade German Chocolate BROWNIEs

It’s a party!  What’s at the center of attention (besides our sweet friend, Kirsteen, who’s moving to New Zealand) but an entire island of the best food in Athens and a little mini bar of really cool wines.  (The brownies I find later!)  So here’s my mental dialog and how I dealt with this particular evening.

 Me:  Oh!  Kirsteen looks fantastic.  Everybody looks great!  What a nice crowd.  A lot of folks I don’t know.  What if they think the cute dog on my dress placed right in the middle of my ass looks big?  (how did I not see that before I got the dress home?)  Anyway, gotta get back in the jeans.  Feeling nervous.  I see some folks I know.  Good.
Wine:  Come drink me!  Look at all the really cool labels.  You know it’s tasty.  Loosen up a bit!

Me:  No thank you.  We (me and my butt that wants to fit into a particular pair of jeans) are running 8 miles tomorrow.  Plus, once we have 1 glass, we might want 2.  We don’t need those kind of calories tonight, thank you anyway.  Don’t want to get dehydrated.  Running with a group.  We want to do our best.

Wine:  But EVERYONE’S drinking.  You only live once.  You shouldn’t deprive yourself.  1 glass won’t hurt.  Don’t be so square.  How will 1 glass of wine matter tonight.  You’ll be more relaxed. Lord knows you could use a little of that.

Me:  I’m pouring myself some Pellegrino!  I want to wear those jeans more than I want you – go away wine!

Wine:  Ok

Me:  Sipping, chatting.  Enjoying all the unique personalities.

THE BUFFET:  Neutral.  It’s 7:30pm and I haven’t had dinner yet.  We don’t need to delay eating because we don’t have any kind of buzz to maintain from the wine.  Ok – taking a look.  EVERYTHING looks GREAT! 

Me:  I grab a plate.  I start with some yummy looking cabbage salad. (I was later told it was in last month’s Bon Appetite, which I found:  http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/PURPLE-CABBAGE-SALAD-50028771 – but “they” left out the oranges & I hope the vegetable oil too!).  Next, asparagus spear wrapped with a very thin slice of cheese and prosciutto ham (wish I had of picked up 2!)  A mini flour tortilla with pulled pork w/ avocado & spicy onion/salsa and baby arugula salad-pretty plain.  Protein-yeah!  Marti’s tenderloin.  I get about 2 oz.  I’m stopped dead in my tracks.  Immobilized, gazing at the cheese biscuits.  Eric interrupts my trance.  “I’m watching you!”  No doubt he’s not the only one!!  So a dialog with the biscuit ensues.

Biscuit:  You should eat me.  Prove to everyone you can be “normal”.  You can be ok with eating whatever you want.  When will you have the chance to eat like this again.  You don’t make biscuits.  Enjoy me now – while I’m around.  I may never come again.  This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Me:  No thanks.  I know you look good.  I know you’ll taste divine.  I’m going to pass.  I don’t have to prove anything to anybody but myself.  I want to fit into those jeans more than I want to eat you right now. 

Biscuit:  Here I am, on Michael’s plate.  Not YOUR plate.  Just one small bite!  Doesn’t count if it’s not on your plate.

Me:  Yes it does too count.  Ok, one small bite.  Yum!  Divine.  Stopping here.

Seconds at the Buffet:  Come on!  You need to fuel up for your run tomorrow.  There’s healthy choices.  You’re not feeling stuffed.  You know you like that really full feeling.  It’ll give you something to do.  Help with that little anxious feeling you have because you’re around a lot of folks you don’t know.

Me:  No, I’m going to give my plate to Michael and go get more water.  Walk around.  See who else I can chat with.  Cool.  Met a girl at the wine/water table who likes to talk about marathons.  Found out she quit her big NYC job and moved with her husband to Berlin for 1 year.  REALLY cool!  Fascinating.  Into her more than I’m into wine & food.  We walk into another room.  There they are – center stage.

Homemade brownies covered with homemade German Chocolate icing:  Woooo!  Hooooo!  Don’t I look good!!

Me:  Holy f’n moly, yes you do!!

Homemade brownies covered with homemade German Chocolate icing:   Once in a lifetime opportunity here!  When are you going to get the chance to eat me again.  Your mamma use to make German chocolate cake for you every birthday.  You haven’t had me in sooooooooo long.  Just a little taste of childhood.  What will 1 brownie hurt?  Prove your normal.   If you don’t give into your cravings – they say it will haunt you.  You have to give into your cravings they say or it will haunt you with a binge.  You’re setting yourself up for a binge.

Me:  Whatever.  I wasn’t craving you before I saw you.  You’re a temptation.  No doubt you will taste good.  OMG you will taste good.  But no thank you.

Hostess:  Yes, they’re soooo good!  I’ll give you 2 to take home to Janie & Sam.

Me:  Oh good!  I can sneak 2 out of here in the name of Sam & Janie.  Eat it in private.  No one will know.

Me:  No!  What you eat in private shows up in public.  We want to fit into those jeans more than we want that brownie.

Conversations with several folks takes place right beside the brownies for about 20 min. 

Me: Engaged in conversation.  Not eating brownies.  I see someone I know eat 2.  I quickly judge them…”you shouldn’t be eating that!”

Me:  What someone else eats is NOT your business.  It could have been you yesterday.  It could be you tomorrow.  You’re judging because it shines a light on that place in you that loses control sometimes & that scares you.  Don’t judge.  Don’t be harsh.  Focus on yourself.

We leave the party.

Michael:  I’m stopping for a cup of coffee.

Me:  Oh my God!!!!!!!  I wanted a brownie soooooo bad.  I’m glad I didn’t eat it.  Thank goodness she (hostess) didn’t give us the brownies for Sam & Janie!

Michael:  I know.  They probably wouldn’t have survived the ride home to “Sam & Janie”.

Safely at home. 

Me:  Let’s eat a Kashi (2 pt) cookie to get that sweet tooth out of your system.  Ok, better choice.  Not perfect (cause you don’t need it), but better.

 Sunday morning and all is well.  I survived the temptations & cravings.  I’m not looking back on last night wishing I had of given into them – so obviously I made the right choices for me.

 I realize I’m not going to fit into those jeans after one night of “saying no to high calorie indulgences” but more nights (and days) like that strung together will get me where I want to be.  One meal at a time!

February 17, 2010

WoW! Grocery Shopping – a Field Trip

KROGER
1720 Epps Bridge Pkwy
Athens GA 30606
Store Phone: (706) 583-8900

February 22 (Monday) at 10 a.m.

or

February 23 (Tuesday) at 6:15 p.m.

RSVP:  to April at workoutwarriors@bellsouth.net

Cost?:  Free to currently enrolled WoW! Boot Camp Participants (or if you sign up for March!)

 I will be your personal guide through the store – pointing out where to find our favorite “healthy” staples.  We’ll also give you a sample menu for the week.

Why Kroger?  Simple. That’s mostly where I shop and I know where everything is located.

 Here’s What to Include on Your Healthy Grocery List

• Fresh vegetables and fruits should make up the largest part of your healthy foods grocery list. Vegetables and fruits have vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and they are usually low in calories. We all need at least five or more servings of vegetables and fruits every day. Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables that everyone in your family will enjoy.
• Most of your grain and cereal products should be made from whole grains, not from refined flours. This part of your list includes whole grain breads, whole grain pastas, and whole grain breakfast cereals. Whole grains are important for vitamins, minerals, and for fiber, which is often lacking in modern diets. Read labels to look for 100% whole-grain or 100% whole-wheat to be sure you are getting whole grain products.
• Your protein and meat choices should consist mostly of fish, poultry and lean meats. Eggs, nuts, seeds and legumes are also good protein choices. Choose fresh and frozen unbreaded meats and fish. Avoid breaded, deep-fried convenience foods that you put in the oven. They are high in fats and sodium.
• Beverages – keep it simple. Water, low-fat milk, juices and herbal teas are all good choices. If you opt for soft drinks, choose diet sodas and soft drinks to avoid extra sugar.
• Dairy products should include low-fat milk, yogurt and cheese. If you do not want cows’ milk, choose soy and rice beverages, calcium-fortified orange juice, or goats’ milks and cheese.
• Be careful with dressings, cooking oils and condiments. They are sneaky sources of refined sugar and poor quality oils. Read labels to choose dressings made with olive oil, canola oil or walnut oil. Choose low-fat mayonnaise for your sandwiches and choose canola oil and olive oil for cooking.
• Frozen foods are a convenient way to keep vegetables & fruit on hand. There are also prepared meals that you can pop into the microwave or oven. These can be convenient and healthy if you choose low fat versions with good portion sizes. Read labels and chose frozen foods wisely. Avoid frozen pizzas, pocket-sandwiches, deep-fried appetizers, and breaded foods.
• Foods in cans and jars are also very convenient. Look for low-sodium soups, vegetables and sauces. Avoid high-fat gravies and high-calorie foods like canned spaghetti and ravioli products.
• For sandwiches, choose peanut butter or other nut butters, low-fat turkey slices or sliced roast beef. Avoid processed lunch meats, sausages and hot dogs.
• Avoid high calorie treats and desserts. Choose fresh fruits, healthy nuts, seeds and whole grain crackers for snacks.

January 24, 2010

You go girls!

Allison completes her first 5K with some encouragment from fellow
WoW! Boot Campers Jennifer & Jackie!

“This was taken at the Jaguar Caper yesterday….Allison did an amazing job!  I was so proud of her since this was her first “official” 5K.  When we had the field trip on Monday at boot camp she asked me how many miles she did and when I told her 3 I could see the wheels in her head turning that she COULD do a 5K and not die.” – Jennifer G

December 15, 2009

Yes, you can outrun “CRAZY”…. & Ashley has “proof”

Yes, You CAN Outrun “Crazy!”

My girlfriends at work asked for a picture from the Atlanta half marathon.  The only one I had with me was a screen grab from www.marathonfoto.com, so I attached it to an email and sent it out.  Jo replied[c1] , “We BELIEVE you ran it…you don’t have to stamp PROOF all over the picture!”  Duh. 

But that kind of sums up the feelings I’ve had since crossing the finish line—I still need proof.  Marti asked if I had bought a 13.1 sticker for my car and I said, “No, I need to run a couple more before I advertise it on my car.”  I saw some cute shirts at the race expo (“I know I run like a girl—try to keep up.”) but I felt like a fraud about buying one.  I wore my medal to Thanksgiving dinner, but when my father complimented me on the achievement, I said, “Well, yeah, but I finished in a blistering 2:47.”  If my brother said, “I can’t believe you ran 13 miles this morning—that’s awesome!” I answered, “I didn’t run ALL of it; I had to walk up some of the bad hills.”  When the finish line picture arrived, my first thought wasn’t of the joy and pride I felt at that moment.  I didn’t see my smile.  It was more like, “OMG, my boobs look like they are trying to hide in my bellybutton!” 

Yes, ladies, this is what a lifetime of Crazy sounds like.  Welcome to the inside of my head!  Anything sound familiar? 

I spent $100 for an hour of therapy yesterday and our main topic was the Atlanta half marathon.  WHAT???  Don’t get me wrong—every minute I spend in the office of  Sherryl Richier is worth the money (three more referrals and I get a toaster!) but have I honestly reached a point where I need a therapist to tell me that it’s OK to be proud of myself for doing something that was hard?  She reminded me that I have a teensy weensy old habit of thinking that nothing I ever do is good enough.  True.  That it only counts if it’s perfect.  Yeah.  That even if I run 13.1 miles, I didn’t run it quite fast enough, cute enough, smart enough….  OK, maybe she was on to something.  That did sound vaguely familiar, like she was channeling the voice of my first husband/mother/grandmother.  It’s a very old tape, maybe even an eight-track, that gets triggered in my head whenever I should be proud of myself—“Good job, Ashley, but it could have been better.”  The flipside of the tape plays when I even consider doing something that scares me—“Well, Ashley, don’t do it until you can do it perfectly.  People will know you for a fool.”  The greatest gift I’ve gotten from all those hours of therapy is the ability to hit the STOP button, skip tracks and play a new song.  Like “Boom Boom POW!” 

 So here’s what really happened on race day. 

• I ran the first mile next to a squad of Marines.  Their cadence chant was about looking fine and feeling strong and I could have kissed every one of them on the mouth for it.
• In the second mile, I talked to a woman who had only been running for two months.  It was her first race ever!  I encouraged her with all the things Michael harps on about running form—Chin up, chest open, drive those elbows back, bend at your ankle, hold the baby bird eggs, in through the nose…
• By mile three, so many people had passed me that I looked over my shoulder to see if anyone was still back there.  I saw THOUSANDS of people and I giggled with glee.  
• Mile four and the towers of downtown still looked as far away as the Emerald City at the end of the Yellow Brick Road.  But I had a target.  Just keep running.
• I reached our hotel at mile five and there were Gennaro and Vivi, waiting in the middle of Peachtree Street to give me a hug.  Vivi sang her little song, “Go, Mommy, Go, Mommy, GoGoGo!”  I thought my heart would burst with joy.
• Mile six, I passed a woman who was running for Leukemia Society’s “Team In Training.”  I thanked her for raising money for LLS and told her that I had lost my husband, Richard, to leukemia four years ago.
• Finally, at mile seven, I was starting to get tired!  I ate some of those sport jelly beans (I think the flavor was “Gag”) as I walked up that bitch of a hill in front of Piedmont Hospital.  I thought about popping in to McDonald’s for a large Diet Coke but decided that would be poor form. 
• Downhill for mile eight…whee!
• Mile nine I hear Tami saying, “Loosey Goosey! Loosey Goosey!” and flap my arms like a card-toting lunatic.
• I slapped the mile marker sign on mile 10.  I had never covered more than 10 miles on training runs, so this was new territory. 
• In mile 11, downtown Atlanta, three women were chugging along in front of me. One said, “I can’t do it” and slowed to a walk.  I came up beside her and said, “I think you can.”  Another stranger said, “I think you’re already doing it!”  It felt like the way we help each other believe in ourselves in boot camp.  She went back to running.
• At the start of mile 12, I got really emotional.  The people cheering us along said, “You’re almost there!”  My quads were screaming and I had to walk up the hill by the capitol.  I followed the course around a sharp left corner then looked up to see a small, dark-haired man standing on the sidewalk by himself.  He was wearing a Leukemia Society Team In Training coach shirt.  He looked a lot like my late husband and I started to cry.  “I can run.  I am still here.  I am alive.  Running 13 miles is not the scariest thing I’ve done in this life.”  I was grateful for how far I had come and I was filled with hope that I really was going to be able to do this. 
• I could see the 13 and I dug deep, shuffling my way up that long uphill bridge to Turner Field.  I. Would. Not. Walk.  I crested the hill under the Olympic rings.  The finish line was a few hundred yards away!  For the first time, I saw the clock and it read 2:59:11.  If I busted it, I could finish under three hours!  I took off like I had been shot out of a cannon.  I was running like Tami being chased by April.  My arms were pumping and I may have inadvertently shoved a couple of people.  I streaked across the finish line at 2:59:21.  I had outrun crazy!  Jovita reminded me later in the recovery area that I had actually run faster than that.  I forgot about subtracting my start differential!  I finished in 2:46:37, 7697^th overall, 3647^th for the women’s division and 449^th in my age group!!!!! 

So, I have satisfied my homework assignment from therapy—I wrote this story.  I hereby own my accomplishment and say I AM PROUD OF MYSELF.  The shirt I should have bought at the expo said, “The miracle is not that I finished, but that I had the courage to start.”  I’m going to go out and buy myself a 13.1 sticker and I WILL put it on my car!

It’s that time of year when we start to think about making a list of New Year’s resolutions.  Resolutions tend to focus on the things we think we’re not doing well.  How am I going to fix all the things about me that need fixing in 2010?  Well, this year I am going to make a different list first.  I’m writing out a list of my accomplishments in 2009 and I will hang them on the refrigerator next to the resolutions for 2010.  May we all own our victories and talk about them as much as we talk about our mistakes.  It’s OK to succeed, it’s OK to try and it’s OK to do it imperfectly.  It’s OK to come in 7697^th.

November 22, 2009

Losing the same pound(s) over & over?

For those of you that have lost and regained the same weight several times – this is for YOU!

I lost 1.5 lbs exactly this week.  I’m proud of my effort.  However, negative thoughts crept in on “weigh in day”, which is Saturday morning for me.   

In 3 weeks I’ve lost 4 pounds.  (Very proud of my effort.  It’s taken saying “No” to a lot of snacking & “Yes” to more activity/exercise.)  But even with that success, I started having defeating thoughts.  I was thrilled and then it hit me:  this puts me at the point where I was when I wanted to lose 7 pounds (which has been for about the last year or so!! over & over again.) 

So essentially, all my effort these past 3 weeks was to get me back to where I started.  STILL wanting to lose those same 7  damn pounds!  (For you, it may look like 5 or 50 or anywhere in between!)

So what did I do??

I did NOT beat myself up about the extra 4 pounds I’ve gained since my latest injury.  It simply came about because bad habits (like eating my kids leftovers, going out to eat more frequently, not measuring food – granola & nuts especially, over snacking and way too much pity & defiantly not enough exercise! 

To quote my husband’s favorite saying:  “IT IS WHAT IT IS!”  Determined, I just hunkered down & dealt with “it”!

1. I concentrated on the positive.  I’m proud that I dealt with the extra weight.  I respect myself for doing what it takes to get it off.  I feel better for it. 
2. I realized the weight loss has given me momentum.  Without hitting my bottom (I couldn’t believe the # I saw on the scale) I might still be on the roller-coaster ride of losing the same 7 pounds over and over again.  This time I’m going to succeed.  There’s no doubt about it.  I will reach my goal!
3. I’m more determined than ever to be in better shape come the New Year.  I will make healthy choices and stay active during this busy holiday season.
4. My pain is your gain!  I’m happy to share all the gory details in hopes that you will learn from my honesty.  I know what it takes and most people (even doctors-except Alan Glassman, he’ll give you an earful!  Huge advocate of exercise & maintaining a healthy weight for adults and children) are afraid to tell you!
5. WoW! Boot Camp works!!!  I love the workouts.  I’m sore, I’m tighter and I’m getting stronger!  Boo ya!
6. Taking it one day at a time!  I realize that my choices today WILL affect my success for tomorrow.  Sometimes it’s saying “NO!” one chip at a time.  (That same big ass bag of Blue Corn Chips for the kids lunches keeps tempting me) & saying “YES!” to more activity.  It may be something little like getting up and getting something for myself verses asking the kids to get it for me.  (No wonder they’re so skinny – HA!)  I am taking it one pound and one exercise session at a time.  I will not be overwhelmed by the daunting task of 7 pounds.
7. I keep visualizing my ideal self (I’m assuming it’s 7 pounds because that’s what I weighed when I had my picture taken for Athena Magazine 3 years ago.  But it’s really a pair of jeans I want to fit back into and a certain way I want my abs to look & a return of that smooth bra line on my back!  I know I have to burn that blanket in order to see the muscles underneath!
8. Every day, I feel better & better.  I’m more creative & energetic.  Even though the results are slow (by tabloid standards) as long as I’m doing all the right things, I will continue to progress towards my goals.
9. I have a good attitude.  This is not a chore.  This is a choice.  It’s a healthy way of life & I am better for it (just as I am certain you will be!)!!

These are pictures of me at the TUGALOO Triathlon – 4 years apart!

My first Triathlon. Hard, mostly because i was overweight, out of shape and didn't train very much. But it was a start!

Same race - 4 years later. Still hard! But this time it was because I raced fast enough to go Top 3!

November 18, 2009

Phys Ed: Why Exercise Makes You Less Anxious

By GRETCHEN REYNOLDS

Joubert/Photo Researchers, Inc A neuron in the brain.

Researchers at Princeton University recently made a remarkable discovery about the brains of rats that exercise. Some of their neurons respond differently to stress than the neurons of slothful rats. Scientists have known for some time that exercise stimulates the creation of new brain cells (neurons) but not how, precisely, these neurons might be functionally different from other brain cells.

In the experiment, preliminary results of which were presented last month at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Chicago, scientists allowed one group of rats to run. Another set of rodents was not allowed to exercise. Then all of the rats swam in cold water, which they don’t like to do. Afterward, the scientists examined the animals’ brains. They found that the stress of the swimming activated neurons in all of the ’ brains. (The researchers could tell which neurons were activated because the cells expressed specific genes in response to the stress.) But the youngest brain cells in the running rats, the cells that the scientists assumed were created by running, were less likely to express the genes. They generally remained quiet. The “cells born from running,” the researchers concluded, appeared to have been “specifically buffered from exposure to a stressful experience.” The rats had created, through running, a brain that seemed biochemically, molecularly, calm.

For years, both in popular imagination and in scientific circles, it has been a given that exercise enhances mood. But how exercise, a physiological activity, might directly affect mood and anxiety — psychological states — was unclear. Now, thanks in no small part to improved research techniques and a growing understanding of the biochemistry and the genetics of thought itself, scientists are beginning to tease out how exercise remodels the brain, making it more resistant to stress. In work undertaken at the University of Colorado, Boulder, for instance, scientists have examined the role of serotonin, a neurotransmitter often considered to be the “happy” brain chemical. That simplistic view of serotonin has been undermined by other researchers, and the University of Colorado work further dilutes the idea. In those experiments, rats taught to feel helpless and anxious, by being exposed to a laboratory stressor, showed increased serotonin activity in their brains. But rats that had run for several weeks before being stressed showed less serotonin activity and were less anxious and helpless despite the stress.

Other researchers have looked at how exercise alters the activity of dopamine, another neurotransmitter in the brain, while still others have concentrated on the antioxidant powers of moderate exercise. Anxiety in rodents and people has been linked with excessive oxidative stress, which can lead to cell death, including in the brain. Moderate exercise, though, appears to dampen the effects of oxidative stress. In an experiment reported at the Society for Neuroscience meeting, rats whose oxidative-stress levels had been artificially increased with injections of certain chemicals were extremely anxious when faced with unfamiliar terrain during laboratory testing. But rats that had exercised, even if they had received the oxidizing chemical, were relatively nonchalant under stress. When placed in the unfamiliar space, they didn’t run for dark corners and hide, like the unexercised rats. They insouciantly explored.

“It looks more and more like the positive stress of exercise prepares cells and structures and pathways within the brain so that they’re more equipped to handle stress in other forms,” says Michael Hopkins, a graduate student affiliated with the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory Laboratory at Dartmouth, who has been studying how exercise differently affects thinking and emotion. “It’s pretty amazing, really, that you can get this translation from the realm of purely physical stresses to the realm of psychological stressors.”

The stress-reducing changes wrought by exercise on the brain don’t happen overnight, however, as virtually every researcher agrees. In the University of Colorado experiments, for instance, rats that ran for only three weeks did not show much reduction in stress-induced anxiety, but those that ran for at least six weeks did. “Something happened between three and six weeks,” says Benjamin Greenwood, a research associate in the Department of Integrative Physiology at the University of Colorado, who helped conduct the experiments. Dr. Greenwood added that it was “not clear how that translates” into an exercise prescription for humans. We may require more weeks of working out, or maybe less. And no one has yet studied how intense the exercise needs to be. But the lesson, Dr. Greenwood says, is “don’t quit.” Keep running or cycling or swimming. (Animal experiments have focused exclusively on aerobic, endurance-type activities.) You may not feel a magical reduction of stress after your first jog, if you haven’t been exercising. But the molecular biochemical changes will begin, Dr. Greenwood says. And eventually, he says, they become “profound.”

November 10, 2009

Efficient Running Made Easy

A note from Michael Williams, USAT Certified Coach