Week 4: Sleep Does Your Body Good

The timing of this topic could not be better.  I am way behind on my sleep and can feel the effects.  My focus, creativity, and energy are low.  My stress and appetite are high.  I always struggle with getting 8 hours of sleep a night and usually shoot for 6 if I can squeeze that in.  Even though Thanksgiving is this week and the Holidays are just around the corner I am making an extra effort to get more sleep.   We all know how important sleep is, but do not make it a priority in our day.  I am challenging myself and you to get to bed 10 minutes earlier each night for the next 6 nights then hold that bed time so you can have an extra hour of sleep each day.

My Personal Fitness Plan

My personal October fitness plan was focused on increasing my running distance to prepare for the 40^th anniversary Governor’s Cup half-marathon in Columbia, SC on November 3^rd.  In 2010 I placed 3^rd in my age group and I was able to finish 2^nd last year so I set my goal to WIN my age group this year.  I aggressively worked on my interval training and continued to cross-train to help prevent injury.  On the morning of the race I was feeling good and took off at record pace.  It was my record pace for even a 1 mile run so I settled in on a better pace until the final mile.  I was confident no one in my age group was ahead of me and my mind was telling me to slow down.  I could barely hold my pace.  In the final 100 yards of the race I was passed by two guys and I was pretty sure neither looked my age so I held my pace.  Boy was I was wrong… I finished second in my age group again.  I was still very pleased as I set a personal record and although I got passed at the end, I gave it my all and did not have any reserves. 

I learned two important lessons from this race:  One, I must learn to pace myself better from the start and two I am not as young as I think I am.  That “older” guy who passed me was my exact age.

I am now creating a plan to reach a “stretch” goal in the Cold Winter’s Day 5k to beat my high school cross country PR and am helping my wife train for her first half-marathon in early 2013.

Week 3: Stumble, Fumble...Keep on Going

Set backs and disappointments should be a part of your plan.  Not really, but you should be ready for them so they do not derail you from your course.  Sickness, busy schedules, too tired, poor food choices, overindulging, you name it and we have all been there.  The trick to overcome these set backs is to remember that they are just that, a little set back.  With the right mindset you can overcome these and reach your goals.

Hopefully you are on week 3 of working toward your health & wellness plan with me.  If you have not started or have had a set back take this week to evaluate your goals and get back on track.

Tips:

Back to the Basics:  Eat fewer calories than you burn.  Set some realistic goals, reach them.  Set more goals.  Repeat!

Week 3 Fitness Plan:  1. Schedule 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous cardio exercise.  2. Incorporate 5 minutes each for your version of push-ups, pull-ups, and sit-ups.

Stay tuned for more tips and please feel free to reach out to me for a personalized plan or if you have any questions.

Week 2: Watch your Intake

I will keep this week’s message short and sweet.  The holidays are approaching quickly so let’s get ahead of them and focus on our diet.  If you have not already started tracking what you are eating and drinking do so this week.  Even if you think that you will not keep a food log for the long haul give it a go for a week or so.  It will help you identify where you can cut calories and where you are adding empty calories.  I am not a registered dietician nor certified in nutrition (at least not yet) so I will keep this to the basics and if you want more diet information please find someone who is licensed or certified near you to get more details on what is right for you.  My main goal today is to motivate you make the right food choices and reduce your calorie intake wisely.

Check out the link on side of page to the intake recommendations put together by the USDA.  There are recommended daily allowances with daily calorie estimates and some recommended foods to add to your diet.

Eat Smart, Stay Active & Have Fun!

Week 1: Getting Started

Get a journal, tell your friends & family about your decision to get healthy, set some goals and get started.

This coming week is more important than it appears.  It is physically pretty easy, but represents change and the beginning of a new process.  Start by making the decision to make a change and getting serious about making the time each day to work on your health.

Step 1.  Get a journal – record as little or as much as you like, but make sure you capture your diet trends, activity and general feelings each day.  Some of you will love this part and some will hate it.  Find your style and keep track.  This is a much more important aspect than you would think.

Step 2.  Set your goals - record your base weight, resting heart rate or any other physical or physiological measurement as your starting point and set some goals of where you want to be this time next month, 6 months, year, and 5 years.  (We will go into more details on these check points, but trust me you want to take the time to think of them all.)  I will also add that you should make sure you use S.M.A.R.T goals.  I would love to get some dialogue going on this topic so if you would like to know more please post a comment below or send me an e-mail.

Step 3.  Get Started – Make sure that you dive right in.  Create a schedule that works for you.  This is the beginning of a wonderful new process, one that can make a huge difference in your lifestyle.  

“Learn to love the process.” – M.Jordan

It's all about the journey...

It’s all about the journey…

So whether you are just beginning or getting ready for your next event you need to remember you must enjoy the journey.  Start by keeping a journal.  I have always been a journal writer and although most of my journal entries are pretty boring and probably something none of you would enjoy reading they generally do help me focus on what motivates me and what holds me back.

I wanted to kick off a series of posts to help encourage all of you to first, visit my blog frequently and second, create habits in your life for a healthier you.  I am working on some basic workout routines that I will share soon, but first I want to have some regular readers – You.  Please check in weekly for an update on my 9 week plan.  Ask questions, discuss & reach your goals!  I am working on having a more interactive site and will be setting an “office hour” soon so you will know when I am logged in and available to answer fitness questions LIVE.

Here is my 9 week plan which will get us to Christmas:

Week 1:  Getting started:  Get a journal, tell your friends & family about your decision to get healthy, and set some goals.

Week 2:  Watching your intake:  This information will be basic but useful.

Week 3:  Stumbling is normal:  A few setbacks are O.K.

Week 4:  Sleep:  Getting more of it with lots of benefits.

Week 5:  Embracing Change:  Every 3-4 weeks mix it up.

Week 6:  Balance:  Need I say more?

Week 7:  Review week:  Time to turn it up a notch.

Week 8:  Daily Routine enhancements:  Breaking bad habits

Week 9:  Progress check + Next 9 week planning

I am excited about this new 9 week blog venture and know that as we create this and implement change it will grow into a powerful tool.  I also know that all of my plans are subject to change just as they always have been so let me know if there is something you would like to see and I will try to implement it into our plan.

“Focus, Fitness & Faith”  - Tri Fit Solutions

Rest Days | whether you want them or not

Since my last post I competed in the Lake Murray Dam Tri and began training for the Governor's Cup Half Marathon.  Work has been super crazy this past month and to top it off I have been battling a virus or possibly strep throat (my youngest tested positive for strep a few weeks ago and I always like to catch what the boys bring home).  It is amazing how quickly you can go from being in peak condition to feeling like you cannot get out of bed.  I still have a slight cough, but am finally beginning to get back to my training and yours!

I have not taken so many rest days in a while and actually believe they may have been good for me.  I am a cardio junkie so rest days usually consist of an "easy" workout instead of a normal or hard one.  So if there is one lesson to take away from this post, it is take your rest days.  Rest will help you perform better and stay healthy for your training days.  Another lesson if you are up for two...If you have had too many rest days due to sickness or a busy schedule, get back out there.  I realize it is hard, even for a cardio junkie, but once you get back on routine it comes back quick.

Now that I am back on the mend - please tune in for more posts.
Stay well & on course.

Coach Gibby