Runner’s High

I think running gets an unfairly bad rap. My good friends at Brooks Sports aka Brooks Running say running can significantly improve physical and mental health.

They aren’t wrong. As someone who battles anxiety, specifically postpartum anxiety and depression (post forthcoming on the subject), running has changed the way I think, move, and breathe. Because breathing is pretty important, right?

Meet my awesome best friend, Lady Treadmill

Naysayers will purport running is bad for your knees. “You’ll burn out your joints, kid!” Tell me this: if it’s so bad, then why do we encourage children to do it? Sure, some people should not be out there running. For some, it can exacerbate issues they already have. But as a whole – running is good. Cardio is good for the body and heart. With a propensity for our population to be facing heart and health issues, perhaps running could alleviate some of our weight control problems. Just a thought.

20-25 minutes. That’s the magic number for runners to begin feeling euphoria. On average, I run 45-60 mins/day. I should be so euphoric you have to pull me down from the clouds!

Alas, it’s not that easy.

Norfolk Harbor Half Marathon, November 2018 – a new PR

Aside from the above photo, in which I ran a PR (personal record) of 13.1 miles in 2:28 (that’s 2 hours and 28 minutes), running can be tough! One training cycle after another really burns you out after an extended period of time. Recovery is just as important as training. Where was I going with this? Oh yes, euphoria!

A study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology finds that even five to 10 minutes a day of low-intensity running is enough to extend life by several years, compared with not running at all. It shows that the minimal healthy “dose” of exercise is smaller than many people might assume.
https://www.health.harvard.edu

Did you read that correctly?! Several years! At 5-10 mins per day?! It takes me that long to make a cup of coffee (threenagerhood makes everything take infinitely longer). Do you have to run a half marathon or 10k to benefit? Absolutely not.

But if you want to run a half marathon and need a coach, training cycle planner, or race manager, I’m your girl!

I’ll leave you with one last item. See those smiles in the photo below? That’s a half marathon smile. Are you ready to run with me? I promise I’m slow. And I walk sometimes. And I have trouble maintaining a solid nutrition plan. But I get out there and run because I can. Some people never have this opportunity.

Kelly (left) Mo-Money Mo Tacos (right): Pre-Race Photo Op

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I ask you –

Have you run a 5k, 10k, Half Marathon, or Marathon? Share your stories with us!

Which distance do you find the most challenging? Why?

Do you enjoy training in a group setting or solo?

What Members Want / How To

We’re not going to be everyone’s cup o’ tea. Not only is it an unrealistic goal, but it’s also impractical. Where would we put them all?! Anytime Fitness is not a big box gym; it’s not a pack-em-in-and-stack-em-high facility; we’re not made for that.

What’s more important to you: a gym with every amenity known to man (most of which you’ll never use or didn’t even know was there) or a smaller place with a home-like atmosphere where the manager knows your name and you’re able to get in/get out in a reasonable amount of time? Not to mention the humor you receive! Only you can decide.

From the gym manager’s desk: I love how Anytime Fitness brings together people from all walks of life. You all have the most incredible stories of companionship, overcoming adversity, and success of anyone I’ve ever met.

Funny how you find people like yourself when you walk in the door, right? You made this time to feel good and work on you. Oh look! There’s others here doing the same thing. Are you going to work upper body today? Oh look! I’ve never seen the personal trainer demonstrating that exercise before; let me ask him/her for some advice. Do you need to update your information? Oh look! We have extended hours so we can reach more members who need our assistance. P.S. You can call me, too.

Building a local following amidst a national brand like Anytime Fitness is a feat like no other. But it’s so worth it! To experience and be a part of the impact a gym can make in someone’s life is life-changing in its own right.

And can we brag on the secure access for a minute, please? Hello, that’s so awesome! I can walk in the member door at any time of the day or night and know I’m safe and secure while focusing on myself. I know if I need help, it’s only a phone call away. We enforce the members-only access rules because we believe your safety is the top priority (second is your health). Just because the office isn’t open every hour of every day doesn’t mean you should be weary of working out alone.

What about training? Truthfully, anyone can be strong. Even me! But did you know strength and being functionally fit are quite different? In the Navy, we call it “operational fitness”; although it’s nice to be big and strong, the Sailors who do well are the ones who are operationally able to do it all. Swim, lift, run, pick up heavy things, and seemingly never tire. This functional fitness ideal translates to everyone because if you can’t transport your groceries from your car into your home…how do you survive daily life? Anytime Fitness believes in functional training. We believe in your health. We know it takes some work, but you can be a rockstar at every activity placed in front of you. Operation Rockstar Status! (I meant you, not me). I’m like a snail being chased by a tiger.

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I ask you –

Have you ever worked out in the middle of the night? Was there anyone else here?

Who is your workout buddy? Are they an Anytime Fitness member, too?

What’s your favorite part of Anytime Fitness: the lack of crowds, the 24/7 access, the group training program, or something else?

Most Important Hour of the Day

Affectionately known as Power Hour. Or Golden Hour. Or anything remotely resembling the first hour of your day.

To clarify, I don’t mean the first hour of your workday or of your workout. I simply mean the very first hour you become conscious upon waking up from whatever sleep you did or didn’t receive last night.

The reasoning behind this label of most important is because what you do within this hour sets the tone for your entire day. Many business professionals and successful entrepreneurs swear by a tried-and-true routine each day, including weekends. Often it takes the form of re-hydration, mindfulness, and exercise.

Personally, I enjoy a cup of coffee and a good book while stretched across two dining chairs and repeating the mantra “munchkin, please don’t wake up before I’m 3/4 into this cup”. Sometimes I make it through the whole mug, sometimes I get whispered pleas to share said coffee. Hey, you do whatever works for you!

So why is it important to devote an hour to you?

…because no one else will. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. You can wish, hope, and think yourself into setting a power hour chock full of good intentions, but it means absolutely nothing if you won’t commit to it.

Start simple. Fill up your reusable water bottle (think green, folks; plastic bottles are senseless; please remember not to freeze glass bottles unless you like digging through your freezer with a vacuum attachment looking for shards that somehow eerily resemble ice chips, not that I’ve ever had to deal with a similar situation). Find a notebook and pen (stop. I know everything is digital now; get over it. you need a real piece of paper and an ink pen. that stylus won’t work here). Seek out a quiet place (nope, try again, the local coffee shop doesn’t count. those places are louder than an airport).

Do you see where I’m going with this? Get out of your head and into your head. Put your thoughts on paper – goals, worries, daydreams, whatever it is that makes you think. This isn’t the time for a to-do list. Save that for when your boss is paying you to work (to my boss: I don’t practice what I preach so we’re safe).

Each day update what you did in the days prior. Or don’t! This is your time to reflect. If you stand by ‘the past is in the past’, then good for you. But if you need to see what you’ve written make forward progression, then good for you, too. No one asks to see your notes. Make this about YOU.

And once 60 minutes have been reached, begin your day with a little more space available in your overflowing mind. Kick ass.

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I ask you –

Do you have a goal for completing your power hour? Twice a week? 7 days a week?

At what age did you realize self-care was important?

Share your routine with us!

Lost Your Motivation? Join the Club! pt 2

In the ancient old Kingdom of Siam, King Phu Bock had a boulder placed on a roadway. He then hid himself nearby and watched to see if anyone would move the boulder out of the way. In due time, many people came upon the stone in the roadway, including some of the King’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers. But no matter who it was, high-born or low, they all came upon the stone and simply walked around it.
Even so, many people loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but not one who complained did anything about moving the stone from the roadway, exclaiming “Oh, I don’t have time!” or “The stone is too large! How can I move it?”
Late in the afternoon, a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables he had spent the day gathering. Encountering the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden by the side of the road and began to push the stone out of the road. The stone was indeed large and heavy, and though he tired from working all day in his fields, but after much effort the peasant was finally successful, and the boulder was safely returned to the side of the road.
Returning to his vegetables the peasant discovered they were gone and nowhere in sight. Instead, he discovered a silk purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. Inside, the purse contained gold coins worth many times that of his vegetables and a note from the King. The note explained that the gold coins were a grateful reward for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.

What it means is this (I think):

Every obstacle we come across in life gives us a terrific opportunity to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. While many people complain and do very little, others are creating opportunities through their kind hearts, generosity, and willingness to get things done.
Adapted from the storytelling abilities of my good friend, Dan Morgan

If we look at life as a series of road blocks to be navigated around, we will often find our way in the unorthodox companionship of leaders and thought-provoking conversationalists. How does the story above translate to your fitness goals? Easily.

Pick up the boulder and move it. 2) Do nothing. You have many choices. Complain of nothing changing or be the change you wish to see.

Lost Your Motivation? Join the Club!

Ever find yourself in the dumps of motivation?

Looking for something successful to build you back up?

Have no fear! The answers are here.

Oh. Sorry. I didn’t mean right here. Not in this blog anyway.

Here refers to within you, among those who share your same values, beside your gym partner, your confidante, your person.

Here is why Anytime Fitness subscribes to our own brand of functional fitness and to a group of like-minded individuals sweating alongside you in group training. Group is where it’s at, literally! You know what you can find in a group training atmosphere?

Motivation…
Structure…
Accountability…
Fun…
Support…

Don’t believe me? Try it out for yourself. I guarantee working out in a group will bring you a new spin on life. It’s where I got my start. My very first trainer, a huge build of a man named Ronnie, was a beast in the gym. His unconventional way of attracting clients was fire. (not fire, but FIRE!) He’d stand in the lobby of the fitness chain I belonged to at the time and recruit men and women to come to his class twice a week. I’m not sure if I said yes because I really wanted to reach my goals or because I was scared he would kill me when he realized I never showed up. More of the latter than the former.

Back to Ronnie. Turns out he played for the NFL in the 80’s. Let me paint you a picture. Easily 6’4″, all of 285 lbs, booming voice, and legs resembling a massive oak tree. Scared, yet? I was. Pretty sure he also charmed us into going to his class – what a smile he had! And his charisma was bar none! Hmmpphh.

Ronnie gave me my first introduction to group training. On Monday and Wednesdays, for a solid 90 mins, I sweat with 3 other ladies and occasionally the one man. These ladies (and occasional one man) taught me much about myself. Perseverance, ability, and strength, to name a few. Those women would kill it at these workouts! From dead lifts, to shrugs, to high intensity interval training, or HIIT, to sprints – we did it all. Many of us lost weight, enhanced our assets if you know what I mean, and developed incredible muscle tone, but above all we formed a partnership of motivating each other. We did it with each other because of each other. No one wanted to let anyone else down so even on the worst days we continued to fight.

Group training. That’s what it is about. Fighting with each other, for each other, for yourself. Your trainer is a medium for facilitating these traits within you.

Plans off the Rails

You know those nights you go to bed with a lofty plan for the following day? You’re feeling strong and rested, usually coming off a great weekend, and you set Monday’s goals high because at the moment you just know this week will be your best.

And then Monday happens.

Inaccurate depiction of what time my alarm clock actually goes off

You wake up feeling tired, but it’s ok because at least the coffee pot works. You get to the gym earlier than expected. In my case, I get to work earlier than expected and I know it’s going to be a GOOD day! I’ve got all this time to work out. It’s just me and my headphones. Then you look down and Monday happens.

Where’s my running shoes? Where’s my sports bra? F***. Monday happened.

This story started out in third person and has quickly become real life. My apologies. Monday, you know?

I’m wearing shoes. They could even be considered running shoes. But they’re not THE running shoes I wear to…run. They’re my work shoes. It’s different!

And no sports bra? Ha. Ha. Hahahahhaha! Right. Monday happened.

So what do you do? Do you pack up and leave? Turn around and walk out? Go to work early? (Not quite an option for me.) No. None of the above. You get on the treadmill to make the most of this Monday. Movement is more productive than sitting. My body moved continuously for 30 mins today. It was not the workout I’d planned nor was it what I had hyped myself up to complete today. But it was something.

And sometimes something is better than letting Monday win.

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What day of the week does your “Monday” most seem to happen?

When this happens, do you think you give up on your plans more often than push through to completion?

If you had a personal assistant, what 2 chores/duties/tasks would you assign to them to help make your Monday easier?

Day by Day

If you look back on where fitness, nutrition, or health plays a role in your life, many can say it began at childhood. Others might say it only began recently or even after a terrible string of events. What we all have in common is that the journey is uniquely ours. The priority changes weekly, daily, hourly, but it’s always something in the back of our mind. Our health MEANS something to us. Here is where I’ll tell the story of many I have met along my own path to health. Since Anytime Fitness reaches an audience far and wide, intrastate and globally, it’s no surprise the stories will span years. Think of your own generation. The older you get, the more you revel in the days of old, the simpler times, the lost and forgotten. I’ll share Anytime Fitness history, how we got here today, and all the details of what makes notes from the gym manager’s desk relevant to you. Let the Journey Begin!