Monthly Archives: May 2012

Monday Motivation: Stay Busy and Run

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Someone who is busier than you is running right now.

“Someone who is busier than you is running right now.” Ain’t it the truth! Today is my first day out in the so-called “real world” as a working adult. I am fortunate enough to have landed a full-time job right after college graduation in my field of study, doing exactly what I want to do. A lot of my peers were not as lucky, so in honor of them I refuse to let my new busy schedule get in the way of my running. Being busy is no excuse to stop, so I’m not going to let it. Happy running!

Maintaining a fitness schedule while working

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On Monday, I start my very first “real-life” full-time job (yikes!) and besides the nervous first day jitters, all I can think about is how am I going to maintain my workout schedule while working 40 hours a week? I know this is not an impossible task by any means but it definitely will mean more determination, planning and a little extra will power to fight with that voice inside my head that’ll be saying “you’re tired.”

However, according to a great little article on one of my fav fitness blogs, the Greatist, planning ahead and literally marking gym time on your calendar is proven to help you stick to your fitness program. It said that marking gym time into your calendar like you would a meeting or a friend’s birthday will make your fitness time as important as these other cannot-miss appointments. So that’s what I did. I marked my gym time into my weekly calendar so I can’t make any excuse to skip. It also will hold me accountable for sticking to my plan.

The Greatist article also gives some other tips on how to stay true to your fitness program, some of which are extremely important to keep in mind.

  • Break it up- Working full-time and trying to maintain your health can be challenging sometimes. However, by breaking up your gym time, you might be able to fit in more exercise in your day. For example, if your goal for the day is to run 5 miles, try doing a short 2 mile run in the morning and a 3 mile run when you get home from work.
  • Be realistic- Don’t kill yourself trying to fit everything into your day. Despite my earlier post about morning workouts, if you’re not a morning person the habit won’t stick. Find the best time to fit in your exercise whether that be in the morning, during your lunch hour or after you get home from work. Picking a realistic time will help you to stick to the routine.
  • Add variety- Everyone gets sick of doing the same workout routine over and over and over again. Try switching it up. Swap a run for a cardio exercise class, or trade in lifting for crossfit. It’s a good idea to change your workout routine every now and then to avoid having your muscles get too used to the same routine.
  • Stay flexible- Sometimes, no matter how good you planned out your fitness schedule for the week, unanticipated events can pop up and set your plans awry. Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t make it to the gym or squeeze in a run when you planned to. It’s life and things happen. Try making up for it the next day with some extra gym time. It could help you de-stress!
  • Have fun!

Track your fitness & health online with these apps and websites

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Whether you are just starting out with a new fitness routine, or if you’re a seasoned veteran fitness guru, it’s still difficult to navigate the endless amount of fitness apps for your phone and health websites online. However, one of my favorite fitness websites, Greatist.com, came out with an easy-to-read infographic with their recommendations for tracking your fitness online. Besides showing some of the top websites and apps it gives you reasons why it’s important to track your fitness online.

  • You’ll be more motivated.
  • It gives you more accountability.
  • You’ll benefit from planning.
  • Consistency.

Also, one website/app that didn’t make the list was endomondo.com. This website is a social network that allows you to track your workouts using a GPS tracking system in your phone or watch and share your results with the Endomondo community. You can create and accept challenges from other followers or just keep to yourself. Either way, it is a good way to track your progress as you continue your fitness routine.

(I think it goes without saying that Fit Girl Happy Girl is also one of the best fitness blogs out there!)
More Health and Fitness News & Tips at Greatist.

Monday Motivation: Nike’s “I Would Run to You” video

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I apologize again for the late post. This morning I had to drop off my final college paper and pick up my cap and gown. Yikes! Hopefully this video will make up for my tardiness. If you haven’t seen this yet, what have you been doing! I’m in love with this video and it’s definitely a motivation booster. Take a look see and ask yourself, who would you run across America for?

The argument for running naked

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Scandalous, I know. But running naked may be the change you need to enhance your running routine. I’m not talking about ditching your shorts and t-shirt, but taking out the earbuds, leaving the phone at home and taking your eyes off of the television. Running without technology can help you get in touch with yourself as a runner and teach you to focus solely on your run.

Since I started my running routine, I always wore headphones and listened to music. Mostly because I was using an app on my phone to train but also because I thought I’d get bored just running with nothing else to do. The other day I forgot my headphones when I went to the gym. I wasn’t going to not run because of this so I ran naked (without tech). I felt that I had a much easier time focusing on my breathing and pace and was actually able to PR. I couldn’t believe what a difference it made in my stride!

A recent article in Runner’s World quoted Ben Agger, Ph.D., director of the University of Texas at Arlington Center for Theory, saying, “Wearing technology while running intrudes on the mind’s attempt to give itself over to the body.”

In essence, constantly checking your watch to monitor your pace, distance and calorie count actually takes away from your run rather than improve it. Being focused on the numbers means you’re losing focus of the actual run. Also, we all have a set number in our mind, whether it be a PR time or distance, and focusing too much on that can actually limit you in your ability to get to that goal. Numbers can be motivational but they can also put a lot of stress on your runs.

When it comes down to it, it’s all about personal preference. I asked some of my fellow members of the sub-30 Club on Facebook and the responses were about 50/50. Some people said they like to run with tech so they can know if they are improving in their training. Others said they switch it up and run with tech indoors and without tech outdoors. But a slightly larger portion of the responders said they enjoy running naked because they can get in tune with their running body.

For me, I enjoyed running naked. I was able to focus on my pace, form, breathing and what my body was telling me, instead of what the numbers read on my phone. Running is supposed to be fun, so savior the experience!

Monday Motivation: No matter what, you would still run

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I apologize for this the tardiness of this week’s Monday Motivation but today was quite a whirlwind. My final semester of college is about to come to an end and I am set to graduate in less than two weeks so my workload has been a bit crazy as of late. But today I got great news, I was offered a reporting position at a small local newspaper (yay!). Also, I ran 3.5 miles and felt fantastic. I hope your Monday was just as good. Here’s a little motivation to carry you through the week: