Run For Your Life!

To be successful at anything, it is important to know what your goal is and where you are starting. So logically, when I am working with runners I start by determining where they are, and where they want to get. 

For an absolute beginner, someone who has been sedentary and wants to start running for health benefits, we start from the absolute beginning. 

We start with brisk walks, with the goal of building up to 30 minutes of continuous brisk walking. Then we gradually introduce running intervals into the walking building up the run to walk ratio gradually and in a safe manner. The goal being 30 minutes of continuous running at an easy pace. 

Along with the running, it is important that the runner is doing some strength training. Strength training is also built up gradually and safely. The goal of the strength work is to strengthen the muscles that are the prime movers of running, as well as muscles involved in stabilizing the hips and core, muscles important to good running form and posture, etc.

This is important to make running easier and to reduce the risk of injury to new runners. 

If you are getting started running and want help, contact me. I have programs at GT Fitness for runners of different experience levels including strength classes, running plans, and training runs so that you can learn the right effort level at which you should be learning. 

Steven O'Nan

Franklinkungfu@gmail.com

Inspired by the Runners.

First of all, you guys and girls that finished the 10K Classic in Bowling Green in under 30 minutes, that is awesome, I am inspired by all your hard work and accomplishments in the field of running. I, however, am more inspired by some other people at the race that day.

The woman who ran the 10K after recovering from a brain tumor, she inspires me. The folks who ran the 5K that day who have never run a 5K before. The woman who finished the 5K near the back of the pack, who gritted her teeth and ran just a little faster when her daughter yelled, "Go Momma, I'm so proud of you." The girl who raced in a wheelchair, not one of those nice racing wheelchairs, an ordinary wheelchair that may have never been intended to go that fast.

I am sure there are people who ran this 5K and 10K race that one year ago were living a sedentary lifestyle and decided to get off their couches and take charge of their health.

Those are the ones who inspire me.

New Running Programs at GT Fitness Coming Soon

The first round of running workouts has been awesome so far and I am very excited to see how people perform at the end of it all. I do have some news for runners about future programs.

I will be expanding my offerings for runners very soon.  I am putting together a program that caters to brand new, first time, just got off the couch runners, as well as programs for more advanced runners.

There will be options to just do group strengthening classes, as well as options to go on training runs. The training runs will be more than just a group run around town, they will each have a different focus so you can learn how to do different types of training as appropriate for your fitness level and running experience.

There will also be the option for some one-on-one sessions to help set and meet specific goals, or to put together a personalized training program.

So get ready runners I've got a lot in store for you!

Starting at Zero

"How do I do it?" she asked, "How do I get fit again?"

She had been away from fitness for a long time. Years in fact, and she wanted to get started again, but she was afraid. Afraid of failure, afraid of injury, afraid of not knowing what to do. So she did something smart. She asked for help.

Sometimes, you have to start from zero. The problem with that is you may not know how to start. I've known people who would not start going to a gym because they were intimidated to be there. Intimidated by not knowing how to use the machines, or not knowing how to plan their workout, or just by the idea that they had been sedentary for so long that they might hurt themselves by trying too hard.

I've seen people who were afraid to go to a trainer. They had watched too much of "The Biggest Loser" and thought that personal training was all about the trainers screaming and cursing and pushing the client to the point of tears or vomit whichever came first.

There is a way to start from zero, without all the reality show drama.

1. Make a choice to work towards a healthy lifestyle.

Rather than goals like, "lose 20 pounds" or "go down three sizes", make your goal to start living a healthy lifestyle. Losing the weight can be a part of that goal, but the main goal should be a healthy lifestyle. Try this phrase out, "I am setting a goal of losing 20 pounds as a part of my larger goal to live a healthy lifestyle." If your goal is just to lose the 20 pounds, it is too easy to quit working after that goal is met. Guess what happens then, that's right, the 20 pounds come back, and usually brings some additional friends along as well.

2. Get a doctor's clearance.

If you have been injured, or if you are very unfit, or have been sedentary for a long time, always get advice from a doctor before you start a new exercise program.

3. Find a trainer.

Let them know what your goals are, let them know you are starting from zero. Let them know about your aches and pains and physical complaints. A good trainer will start you from zero. Even if that means your first session is lying on your back relearning how to engage your core musculature, a good trainer will start you with what you need instead of the workout he or she wants to see people doing.

4. Hold your trainer accountable.

If, during any workout, you ask your trainer, "How does this workout fit in with my specific goals." and your trainer can't answer, it is time to find a new trainer. I have a friend who has years of experience lifting weights. He does olympic lifts and can put more than 300 pounds over his head. On a trial session with a trainer, the trainer had him squatting 95 pounds. My friend was not happy. The trainer never bothered to find out where he was starting from. In this situation the result was a frustrated client who never came back for another session. If it were to go the other way and someone who was unfit was put under a bar with 95 pounds on it, the result would have been much worse. Your trainer is not the boss. You are.

Don't shy away, the benefits to exercise are huge, and the drawbacks to remaining sedentary are injurious to your health, costly when the medical bills start coming in, and can take years off your life.

Get up and get moving today.

Diana Nyad, Superhuman? Super Obsessed?

I am in absolute awe of Diana Nyad's recent success at swimming from Cuba to Florida. I look up to her as an example of what a person can do by setting goals and working towards them with passion and dedication. I would have been this impressed whether or not she ever succeeded because even the attempts are more than most people are willing to do.

I've heard a variety of reactions to this feat. Ranging from some who said she is superhuman and others who said, "Why would anyone even want to do that? Talk about obsessed."

To those who see this as superhuman. You have missed the whole point. If Nyad had believed this to be a superhuman feat she would either have had to delude herself into believing she was superhuman, or never tried. This was not a superhuman feat, it was a demonstration of what a human can do.

It was a rude awakening for me when I heard someone call her obsessed. It reminded me that there are people in the world who really and truly don't understand the desire some of us have to push the boundaries.

There is a choice to be made in life. A person could cruise through life doing what is necessary, getting by with what they have to do, approaching lifes struggles as a nuisance that must be avoided or tolerated until things get easy again.

Or,

Life can be viewed as an opportunity. Challenges can be seen as chances to prove oneself. Obstacles can be things that make us stronger instead of things that get in the way of a passive existence.

We can avoid struggles, or we can embrace them as strengthening exercises.

We can seek out comfort, or allow discomfort to cause us to grow better and stronger.

We can take the easy path or we can take the hard path.

The hard path doesn't have to be as extreme as it was for Nyad, it can be pushing oneself past one's own perceived limitations.

So don't settle, live, challenge yourself, get up, get fit, run a 5K, a 10K, a marathon, a triathlon, learn a new skill, master an art form, do something new, challenging, and outside your box.

You won't really know what your limits are unless you push yourself against your perceived limits. You won't know how strong you truly are or how strong you could become if you don't test yourself.

You won't know what you can achieve if you don't try and fail, and try again and fail again, and get up and try again and again.

So what are you waiting for.

Are You Chasing Numbers?

For many people, fitness goals are based on numbers. It might be pounds lost, or BMI. It could be running a certain distance or a certain pace. For some it is lifting a certain amount of weight.

Having measurable goals is important, but more vital than that is leading a certain lifestyle.

My overreaching goal is one that is very hard to measure. Mine is to lead a healthy lifestyle while making smart choices about my fitness, nutrition, educational pursuits, and emotional health. To help me define what that looks like, there are measurable goals tied up in that. Some of mine include running a 50K race, running a sub 20 minute 5K, and avoiding fast food. It is not a bad thing to have such goals, however it is important to remember the real goal behind all these things.

When it comes down to the end someday, and people are remembering my life, I doubt anyone will be discussing my 5K PR. They may however, remember that I was always striving toward some sort of accomplishment. My daughter will be less likely to tell stories about my first Half Iron distance triathlon than stories about how I had the energy to run next to her while she learned to ride her bike.

So, go ahead and push those numbers. They help measure your progress. Just remember what the real meaning behind it is.

How To Start Running

In one word: Slowly.

In many more words:

First of all, always consult your doctor before starting a new exercise program.

Once Again, Start Slowly.

If you are new to fitness, overweight, or have led a sedentary life lately, proceed very slowly, be patient, and disciplined about progressing your training. Start with walking. Make plans to do a walking/running workout 3 times per week. Gradually progress from all walking to a combination of walking and running to all running. One example of a good progression is as follows.

Week One: Walk for 20 minutes.
Week Two: Walk for 22 minutes.
Week Three: Alternate 5 minutes of walking with 30-60 seconds of jogging for a total of 22 minutes.
Week Four: Alternate 5 minutes of walking with 30-60 seconds of jogging for a total of 24 minutes.
Week Five: Alternate 4 minutes of walking with 30-60 seconds of jogging for 24 minutes.
Week Six: Alternate 4 minutes of walking with 30-60 seconds of jogging for 26 minutes.
Week Seven: Alternate 3 minutes of walking with 30-60 seconds of jogging for 26 minutes.
Week Eight: Alternate 3 minutes of walking with 30-60 seconds of jogging for 28 minutes.
Week Nine: Alternate 2 minutes of walking with 30-60 seconds of jogging for 28 minutes.
Week Ten: Alternate 2 minutes of walking with 30-60 seconds of jogging for 30 minutes.
Week Eleven: Alternate 1 minute of walking with 30-60 seconds of jogging for 30 minutes.
Week Twelve and Beyond: Jog until you need to walk, then take a one minute walk break for a total of 30 minutes.

Run With Good Form.

If you don't have a running coach, learn everything you can about proper running technique. Keep your head up, look at the horizon, not your feet. Keep your back straight, don't hunch your shoulders, but don't shrug them upwards either. Swing your arms in a straight line front to back, not across your body, keep your hands loose. Run with soft quiet footsteps, practice running smoothly. 

But Wait, There's More!

Strength Training

That's right, I said strength training.
Don't worry, you don't need to get pumped up like Ahhhnold. In fact that would work against running efficiently. There is, however, some strengthening to be done. Obviously you want your running muscles to be strong, but there are lots of stabilizers in the body that need strengthening as well. Some areas to work on are the legs (obviously), but also the core, upper back, arms, and shoulders. 

I just happen to have a great strength training for runners program that I teach at GT Fitness. It goes over all the strength training that a runner should be doing, but usually isn't. You can find out more by emailing me at franklinkungfu@gmail.com or call 270-776-6873.