Keeping My Options Open

I've been researching a career as a Personal Trainer and received an article on the 10 Steps to Become A Personal Trainer from my sister.  My brief research found that I should become ACE and AFAA certified which could take 3 to 6 months and requires me to pass several tests.  Man, after I became PMP certified, I thought I was done with taking tests.  Well, my plan is to get the ACE/AFAA certifications and train part-time or full-time depending on the path my career takes.

Avoid Knee Pain: Buy New Shoes!

We are still on our Christmas vacation in Missouri. Today I managed to survive some steep hills here in St. Peters, MO. The good news is I ran for 6 miles; the bad news is after I start a run these days I experience some pain in my knees. I am pretty sure I need new jogging shoes because it's been 6 months since I purchased my Adidas Supernovas. I'm trying to avoid spending the money on new shoes as long as I can. However, I know that if I am to continue running long distances, I will need to make sure I have good equipment for my feet and legs. If you're having discomfort when you run, check out this article on Knee Pain from CoolRunning.com.

Just Say "No"...To Food

The temptation to eat everything in sight reveals itself every year at Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Last year I was able to lose almost 7 pounds over the Holidays because I was committed to not overeating. I'll be fortunate to break even this year and I'm OK with that since I know that I can back on my exercise routine in a week or two. To avoid gaining weight, I try to follow the rules similar to the ones I found at HealthCastle.com. To help me avoid being stuffed, I fast for 24 hours once a week. Of course, it is easy to say "no" to food when it is not the Holiday Season!

Of Ice And Pain

There was a pretty significant ice storm in the Chicago area yesterday and everything is still covered with ice.  Power lines are down in some areas and the local schools were closed.  I wanted to run outside this morning in the 25°F weather.  But, that clearly would have been too dangerous with all of the ice on the side roads.  Instead of hitting the outdoors, I convinced myself to do an 8 mile run on the treadmill.  After the first four miles, I had a strong urge to relieve my bladder.  Although I stopped the treadmill for just a minute to make a quick run to the bathroom, my legs felt like lead.  In any event, I finished my run watching two of my favorite shows: Survivorman and Man vs. Wild.  When I reached the 7 mile mark, my left knee began to ache intensely.  I did not think I was going to finish, so I began to pray for strength to complete the run.  As soon as my treadmill registered 8 miles, I immediately went into cool-down mode.  My knee is fine now.  I just needs lots of water and rest!

Note: I watched the final episode of Survivorman last night.  Survival TV will not be the same without Les Stroud!

No Time To Exercise?

I found this cartoon on the internet and wanted to share with others to motivate exercise in everyone's life.  I did not want to exercise this morning.  However, I know how great I feel when I'm done, so I focused on the end result and plunged into my routine of 90 sit ups and 30 pull ups every other day. On the other days, I perform 200 push ups in sets of 4 over a 15 minute period.  It's rough, especially for a 40-year-old.  But I make the time to exercise.

Can You Believe It?

Well, I've only been able to run 5 miles or more on a treadmill a few times. And, today was one of those days. I got on the treadmill early in the day and set the program for a minimum of 5 miles. Following the marathon training program, I ran about a mile at a pace of 10:30 minutes/mile to warm up. Then I ran 3 miles at a pace of 9:05 minutes/mile. Finally, I cooled down for a mile at 10:30 minutes/mile. The run felt great. Since it's snowing and cold outside, I have the ultimate challenge: Running for 8 miles on a treadmill on Saturday!

Marathon Man

Today was an easy 5K, the slowest one I have ever run - my pace was over 10 minutes per mile. That's because today I started my marathon/half-marathon training program I created from RunnersWorld.com. The plan calls for no more than 3 running days per week which will work well with my schedule. My shortest runs will come this week; while my longest runs will occur the last month of training - March 2009. After I finish this 16 week program, I will restart the program in preparation for a half-marathon or, perhaps, the Chicago Marathon.

A New Running Goal

I've been away for awhile, running somewhat intermittently.  I recently came across a training plan that I wanted to share.  The plan comes from RunnersWorld.com and is a 16 week program that will prepare me for a half-marathon by the end of March 2009.  I am going out of town this Friday and will start the program on Monday.  In the meantime, a little practice will not hurt.

Let's see, can I do a 5k (3 miles) with a 1 mile warm up and 1 mile cool down?  I think so!