2011 Health & Fitness Goals

Everyone says that January 1st is the day to start on goals for the new year (aka: New Year's Resolutions). Personally, I'm still reeling from the holidays at that point and am not in the mind set to create my yearly goals. I like to take the month of January to get my goals well thought out and then start working towards them starting in February.

I also like to think of them as goals rather than resolutions. A resolution is defined in many ways. Some of those are:
"the act or process of reducing to simpler form"
"the act of determining"
"the act of answering:Solving"
(Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 2000)
Goals are something we can work towards accomplishing; they have an outcome. A goal is defined as "the end toward which effort is directed". (Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 2000) This definition feels more accurate to me because it gives us not only a direction but a definite end so we know exactly what we've accomplished and when.


So here are my goals for the year:

1) Stay on top of monthly computer/paper work.
2) Meet or break my PR for a half marathon.
3) Run a full marathon

As you can see, one goal is work related. Being self employed, there are some things that are necessary that I keep up on regularly so that I do not have to cram during certain times of the year (like now... for taxes!). Since I do not enjoy all the paperwork and computer work I put it off. I need to be better about taking care of it on a regular basis so I save myself the stress of having to cram.

The other two goals are fitness related. Running is what I LOVE to do for myself. I PR'd (set my personal record) for a half marathon at the See Jane Run Half Marathon on May 30, 2009 with a time of 2:11:34 That was a flat course. On October 10, 2010 on a hilly course, I ran a 2:12:10!! I was SO close to my PR I was excited beyond belief but also a little upset. Excited that I was a stronger runner (being able to pretty much meet my PR from a flat course on a hilly one!) but a little upset that I was only 36 seconds too slow to meet it! At that very moment I knew I could beat my PR so that became a goal for 2011.

My other fitness goal of running a full Marathon is a joint goal with friend and running partner, Cathy. We have run 6 of my 7 half marathons and 2 ten mile races together over the last two years. So we decided together that it was time to "up the ante" together and run a full marathon in 2011.

Putting you goals in writing and talking about them with friends will help you stay on track to accomplishing them. It also helps if you can have at least one goal that is done with another person - like Cathy & I working towards a marathon together. The two of you can work together to keep each other motivated and on schedule.

So - What are your 2011 goals??

If you have already made them mentally, it's time to write them down and start talking about them. If you haven't made them yet, what are you waiting for?? Figure them out now and get started towards a great 2011!

Keeping Healthy and Active During The Holidays....

seems like a difficult thing to do for most of us. There are so many parties, gatherings, or events to go to or host; shopping and wrapping to be done; food to cook and kitchens to clean; houses to decorate... The list never seems to end during this festive time of the year.

The main factor in making you successful at getting your fitness time in during this busy time of year is the same as it is all year long - making it a priority in your schedule! The changes in our schedules during the Holidays requires us to be more creative and flexible in how and when we fit our fitness times into our hectic schedules.

For some people, like myself, that means getting up early and running before my husband goes to work... no matter how cold, wet or dark it is. Because it's cold, wet and dark I make sure that I can go for my runs safely. I wear my warm winter, weather proof and reflective running clothes (check out www.Athleta.com and www.Lucy.com for great running clothes for all seasons!). I make sure I have at least one or two other people to run with. If I just have one other person to run with I take our chocolate lab, Trixie with me, for added protection. We run on lighted streets so we are more visible.

Another option we do sometimes when early mornings do not work out on any given day is we run later while my kids ride their bikes along side of us. Yes - this is possible even in the rain. I put them in their rain pants, rain jackets and rain boots and off we go!

Those are just a few ways I make sure I stick to my fitness times during the holidays. I hope they inspire you to figure out how to keep your fitness times in your schedule.

Toning Shoes

As a personal trainer, I have been getting a lot of questions lately about Toning Shoes. It seems like every shoe company out there has started to market one. They all claim that they will do fabulous things for your legs and butt. But, (pun totally intended!) do they really work?

Until now, all studies that have been available were from the companies themselves. So it stands to reason that those studies would say that the shoes deliver on their many promises. Now, thanks to American Council on Exercise we have a concrete, UNBIASED study on Toning Shoes - putting them to the test to see if the claims the companies are making are true.

Here's the article sharing the study's results.

So here's the bottom line:
Want slimmer legs? A better butt? Want to burn more calories?

START MOVING!

And do it safely - in properly fitted shoes for that specific activity (walking, running, cross training). Never been fitted for shoes? Visit your local running store: Fleet Feet Sports (Santa Rosa and other cities), Heart & Sole Sports (Santa Rosa), The Running Store (Napa) and See Jane Run (Oakland & Danville) are a few you can find in the San Francisco Bay Area. They will get you all set to start on your new walking/running/exercise program.

Want or need some guidance on getting started with a new walking/running/exercise program? Contact me and let's chat. I would love the opportunity to help you get started on your journey to a healthier lifestyle.