Outdoor Park Workout.

Healthier Lifestyle

It’s going to be clear as you read this that I’m definitely not a writer. Nor am
I a trained fitness professional, I am just a regular guy who has been involved
in fitness for most of my life. So if you’re an English teacher or just really on
top of the laws of the English language please put the red pens away. You will
only ruin your monitor. Now that we understand each other I’ll move on to the
point.

In many ways, I was and still am unbalanced . I feel that most us are
unbalanced. Both in the exercises that we do to keep fit and also with the
things we do to live our lives. In most cases we lack patience , we set high
intensity goals and eventually burn out. Yet as G.I. Joe said “Knowing it is half
the battle”. Allow me to explain.

You will notice that as I go through my thoughts, here, with you that I’m not
going to be supporting one type of workout over another. As I see it, that is
part of the problem. At least it has been for me and for many of us. You see
as we get into workouts or into life in general we tend to get ourselves into
routines and habits. Then we find what we are good at and stick to improving
those areas, ignoring the areas that we lack. This is obviously the best way to
feed our ego. Especially when the attractive girl is watching and your upper
body resembles Arnold in predator! Hey and just cause your legs haven’t
gotten stronger since grade 6 and you can’t run one lap around the block its to
save your life, no biggie. She can’t see that!

Many other people do this but in reverse. You see it’s easy to pick on the body
builder type people, because anything they lack sticks out. In fact people can’t
wait to see there legs to point out how unbalanced they are. There are many
runners that I see running the great city of Toronto all the time who I wouldn’t
consider in good overall shape. You see if you have the body balance of an
Ostrich. Plain and simply, you are unbalanced. How many push ups do you
figure an Ostrich can do? Or a T Rex? We have been lucky enough to have a
more balanced body then these creatures. So why cheat ourselves?

You see this blog, article or whatever you want to call it isn’t called
bodybuilding 101 or The Ultimate run. It’s called A Healthy Lifestyle and
there’s a reason for that. The lifestyle might not fit you if you’re a beginner

and I can understand that. Sometimes you have to go through trial and error
before you can see what I’m trying to say. The people that I do think will
get something out of this is people who have been hardcore runners, or
weightlifters or have been after a particular goal. These people have been in
the game long enough. They have felt the set backs of injuries, or fall offs and
come backs from going hard and burning out. Well if you’re tired of all that
and now want to actually feel good with no excuses, you will probably listen to
what I’m saying.

I’ve also seen friends ruin backs, ankles, knees, rotator cuffs and tear
ligaments etc.

I too went through many ups and downs through my workouts and in life.
After getting into some of the worst shape in my life and going through an
all time low, I woke up looked in the mirror and was not happy. I started
back with tightening up my diet and renewing my gym membership. Which
is what most of us do in this situation. Along the way I turned 30 which is
a mile stone, right. So I did some reflecting on how I got to this point. I also
realized that I was about to go back to follow the same steps that I had done
before. Why wouldn’t I? It seemed to work..well kinda. The point is that we
are very likely to repeat the same mistakes if we are not aware. Which usually
starts with the attitude of the great come back! I’m gonna live in the gym
and run everywhere. “Say Goodbye to Carbs”! I need all the best of the best.
Shoes, protein, vitamins even special running socks! I’m hardcore! I feel sorry
for people who don’t take care of there health. Man it feels good to be back!
Then… Same injuries, same pit falls and the same excuses. My bodies too tired
to carry this pace and I want to sleep and eat cheese burgers with my (ex)
girlfriend.

Repeating the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
It is insanity. At least that’s what an Ex girlfriend yelled me before breaking
up with me and speeding off in her car. As much as that sucked and probably
came from a Dr Phil book, she was right. Life is life. Working out is just a part
of life and life needs balance. So does everything in it.

What I came up with was that I wasn’t going to go “superman” on the world
for a short sprint. Instead I would figure out a way to maintain a healthy
life style for the long haul. This is going to take a change at the way I look at

things. It’s not all or nothing. It’s doing something everyday. Little by little
to make me who I am. If I can’t do as much as I’d like, it’s okay. I can make it
up in other ways. If I can’t go workout as long as I’d like one day, then that’s
a perfect day to have stricter diet. After all if I’m gonna do this for the rest of
my days, or until my body turns into a carcass, I need to enjoy myself. Think
positive and don’t unravel.

What I ended up doing was sampling all types of workouts that I had
researched on you tube and various other websites. Things that I had
never explored before like kettle ball training and boxing conditioning with
gymnastics training. All sorts of different types of training. Now that I had
the ease to explore into any of these methods no gym could hold me. Literally
once that sun started shinning out side of the gym, I decided that I would
do all my workouts outdoors using my environment. Now it’s been about 5
months and I must say I’m in some good shape. I mean the kind of shape that
you feel confident, happy and healthy.

As you might have guessed I believe it’s all about balance. If you’re into lifting
weights or running hard I think it’s cool. I just feel that we can incorporate
it to a balanced week. Say Friday you do your really hard running the rest of
the week you do bur-pees, jumps jacks and jump rope. As for your resistance
training mix it up. Do some calisthenics instead, then do some mass training,
then endurance, maybe do yoga etc. After all we want this to last. Not to be
on the side line. So enjoy it to the fullest. In this entry I don’t have a workout
plan for you. If you want one I can provide it for you no problem. I guess I
wanted you to know where I’m coming from. There should be a video here
for you to watch that a friend and I put together of me doing some things that
you can do out doors. Other then that I hope that this made some sense and
somehow motivates you. I will be doing more of these blogs, they are kind of
fun if you have done one maybe try that too. Why not , you can’t be balanced if
you try new things it balances out all the old things you do!

For some of my other balancing ideas, please stay tuned. I could only write so
fast!


Thanks for reading,

Michael R.

Distance and endurance..

Warning. The next few lines of this post will seem like a profile bio pertaining to some character on a "online web dating site". It's not.

I am a 40 year old, South American male. I speak a few languages, all just a little better than mediocre. I have a career which I love and well, I stay fit. Relatively....

I have always been athletic. By this I mean that, in my younger years I always had good hand eye coordination. I didn't need to go to the gym because I was always active. I played in team sports such as soccer, volleyball, cross country running, skiing and more. Activity was just a part growing up.

When I had discovered that I was a grown up, I kept active. I made the choice to join a gym. Gyms are always intimidating. There is all sorts of lunar like torture machinery. Unless one takes an active role in learning how to use their properties to achieve a desired physique, well...

I didn't.



I just wanted to go there and lift, not so heavy things, a number of times, get sweaty and get the hell out of the very uncomfortable men's change room.

I did this for a while. In contrast, I knew of a number of people who hit the gym hard. Systematically with a goal and ready for action. They were the body builders, who seek the mass. I think they are still in the change room.

Anyway, the gym could not keep my interest very long. I still wanted to keep fit. So, I started running.It worked my "lean" or long muscles effectively. This gave me the body shape that I wanted. I kept running. As every runner knows, running in addictive. Maybe it's because the initial learning curve is quite rewarding. One can be a 10k runner in no time. Then one becomes a member of a community.

After reaching the first 10k safe plateau, it becomes a challenge to go longer and longer. Obviously, the longer the distance, the harder it becomes to achieve a higher kilometer count. Then there is the whole aspect of increasing your distance while at he same time, decreasing your speed. That's where the fun really begins.

Maybe not as much "the fun" but more "the challenge". Trying to go longer and avoid injuries is also a unique game. One which a lot of us loose often. Injuries are common. The severity, frequency and one's ability to get better depend on various factors.

Speaking for my self, distance/ endurance running has become a part of my life. It has given me a great perspective from which to look at my life. I know if I wasn't a distance runner, I would have never seen some the great sites I visited while travelling for work. On my first night in Vienna, I clocked an extra 5k to my daily run because I got lost. I wouldn't complain though. Discovering, the monuments of Vienna, alone, in the dark was a fantastic experience. Considering that most of us who travel for work, we never really get a chance to see the cities we visit, running helps. The Champs-Elysee would have been different for my my brother and I, on our visit to Paris if we were both not addicted to staying fit.

Distance running or endurance training develops different muscles. To be a better runner one has to change the way one lives. This includes diet, rest periods and schedules. As a result, I also found that it gives one a different way to see every day life. It changes the way you live daily. I enjoy it, (I don't like it) immensely.

Neruda

I want you to know
one thing.

You know how this is:
if I look
at the crystal moon, at the red branch
of the slow autumn at my window,
if I touch
near the fire
the impalpable ash
or the wrinkled body of the log,
everything carries me to you,
as if everything that exists,
aromas, light, metals,
were little boats
that sail
toward those isles of yours that wait for me.

Well, now,
if little by little you stop loving me
I shall stop loving you little by little.

If suddenly
you forget me
do not look for me,
for I shall already have forgotten you.

If you think it long and mad,
the wind of banners
that passes through my life,
and you decide
to leave me at the shore
of the heart where I have roots,
remember
that on that day,
at that hour,
I shall lift my arms
and my roots will set off
to seek another land.

But
if each day,
each hour,
you feel that you are destined for me
with implacable sweetness,
if each day a flower
climbs up to your lips to seek me,
ah my love, ah my own,
in me all that fire is repeated,
in me nothing is extinguished or forgotten,
my love feeds on your love, beloved,
and as long as you live it will be in your arms
without leaving mine

- Pablo Neruda


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Run, 1st timers guide!

Run, just because…

So, I’m a runner. All my friends know I’m a runner. My family knows I’m a runner. My co-workers also know I am runner.

As you can imagine, this always leads to conversations. Has led to the questions “Why do you run?” and “I want to, so how do I start?”

Everybody has their own reasons as to why? I’ll just tell you how I started. Since, I don’t claim to be a pro or know anything about training, I suggest you get various perspectives and develop your own start up guide. Read articles written by pros and by amatures too. I find sometimes pros are a little too heady. I’m just going to stick to the common sense (to me!) basics.

Let’s start with a personal analysis. Be critically honest. Look at your life style and judge your level of health and fitness. It’s obvious to state that you should see a Physician prior to really doing any real exercise.

Start with simple questions.

When was the last time I was active? By this I mean truly active and for a sustained duration of time, ie., days, months or years and the type of workout you did. The last time you went for a “hike” does not count. Face it! If you are asking this question, (more than likely) you are not the type of hiker that has the habit of sweating, scrambling up the side of mountains. If you are the type of person who says “I use to play... (insert your sport)!” but that was ten years ago, sorry, that was another person. Not the “you” that you are today. By that same train of thought, if you were a smoker, have changed your diet dramatically for the better, well you might be in better shape than you think.

What shape is my body? Can I touch my toes? Do my arms and legs move in a range of speeds habitually? Do I have pains aches in places that I didn’t really know existed? Do I make old people noises whenever I get off the couch?

I work with a variety of people, some that are and look like fashion models. Some of the ones that look great are in bad shape. They lack muscle mass and they have no aerobic stamina. Conversely, I know a lot of skinny and large people who would kick my ass in a number of activities! Where do you fit?

How does my life style contribute to my health? For example, what is your diet like? How much food do you eat, when and type? How much time do you spend in a non-active position? Do you have time to exercise? Why do you want to run?

Me, well I’m lucky! I (was) am a “petite” to average sized man, who has been active all my life. I spend most of my 14hr workday on my feet moving all the time and I get fed all the time.

I was getting older and eating horribly. My pant size had increased by a few sizes and at some point or another I had been a smoker. I live in the downtown core. Therefore, I can ride my bike all over the city instead of driving. I was big into rock climbing.

Ironically, I took up running and weight training to improve my rock climbing until I dislocated my shoulder doing weights and ending my rock climbing adventures. Luckily, I could continue the running.

Running is a different type of sport, it’s usually not fun. Not like tennis or soccer. It is challenging.

Although I was fairly active, not overly over weight, the first time I went running was fairly discouraging. I could only run a few blocks. I have an aggressive personality. This means that everything I start, I dive into it. You should go slowly! Not fast and not slow, just comfortable. Jog a short distance and if you feel good go further, keep it up until you can’t. Push it a little bit. Soon you will be able to run! Ask any runner, there is a difference between jogging and running.

The good part about running was that the improvement curve was fast. Obviously, the more you run the better you will be and the better you will feel about pushing it every time you run. If you do not sweating, then maybe running isn’t for you.

I started to increase my distances and time. A few blocks, then ten minutes increased to fifteen minutes within a couple of runs. Soon I was enjoying quick 5k to 7k runs in no time. Still, this was a challenge none the less. I didn’t really have a way to track my progress. However, I did own a watch and I do know how to read a map. All the calculations were estimates. This went on for a few seasons, never continually, always staring over again when the mood set back. Some runners don’t bother to even get out of bed to run a 10k. To us, mere mortals, it will be a challenge until you get there.

My first real season and run was about seven years ago. I had moved to the 905 and was bored out of my mind. I had been back at running for a few weeks and decided to run the SportingLife 10k. I didn’t really know whether I could complete the race because I still did not really track my progress nor did I really care.

Two days prior to the race I picked up my race kit and that was intimidating.

I ran the race and completed it at a very modest 59:24. I was just glad I made it without a stop or walking. The next day I bought my first chronometer watch. Since, then I have run the race every year and my time has improved every time. Last time I ran it in 43:20… hung over stopping only once to..! I did say I was not a pro!

This year I’m hoping to get an even better time.

I don’t really like technical wear, although some jackets are nice for everyday wear. As a friend once mentioned, “Dry-fit is for Zombies!” Some people are gear whores and use new gear to fuel their workouts. Go ahead if that’s you but it gets expensive. I personally use dark chocolate as my fuel. To start you need good running shoes, a good pair of socks and some will. That’s all.

As your running turns into an addiction (and it will!), your gear and requirements will change.

My beginner’s gear list was.

• A pair of Asics Cumulus II-Gel running shoes that were purchased under advice at the Running Room. I ran in the same model shoe for a few seasons, until they wrecked the model by ‘improving’ it!
• A homemade sleeveless cotton t-shirt that I had lying around.
• My Sony disk-man, I still have it. Now I’m an iPod guy.
• Wig-wam running socks from MEC, I’ve tried a few socks, I like these best.
• A pair of soccer shorts.
• A baseball cap.
• A watch

You do not need a belt to carry little bottles on, even if you do manage to run 10k on your first run, you will not die from dehydration! You do not need a heart rate monitor, maybe later. You do not need fancy tights and matching jerseys with logos. You will only look like a fancy sausage that is sponsored to look dorky!

1^st time “guide”.

Buy your shoes. A pair that is, good, suited for running short distances and you. You might have a pair that are clean and look like running shoes but they are not. Look at the soles. If the heel is worn to an angle not that of the manufactured angle they are not good, no matter how clean they are. Use these shoes only for running or else they will end up like your old shoes much quicker than you want them to.

Go home. Program some good fast paced music on your music player. I find disco is good. You might not listen to the music you exercise to but really? If you are a Lilith Fair fan, that applies to you. Throw some loose shorts on. Then add old t-shirt.

Do not stretch too much! Just loosen joints and muscles a bit by rotating, moving and lifting. Gently, roll your ankles, shoulders, torso, swing arms and lift thighs to your chest. Only a few seconds for each part, then, run.

On your first route stay close to home. I still run near the subway line, in case I get somewhere and run out of juice. When you run out of juice slow down and head for home.

When you get back take of your shoes and put them away. Hydrate. Feel proud that you got out and did it! Then do it again the next day even if the weather isn’t great. Repeat. Start to read running literature, about technique, injuries and how to prevent it, diet and join a “race”. Set that as your goal. Pay for it because it is more than likely you’ll stick to the plan. A nice race is the SportingLife 10k, it runs down Yonge St. Fast, fun and easy!

Good luck... I’ll start my next step soon. It includes changes to your diet and the days prior to the “race”.

Ttys.

I see Hipters!

After some time of looking at images of "Unhappy Hipsters" online, I had gotten into a bad habit of silently giggling to myself at the sight of one.

On one of my usual grocery shopping walks through the market. I was shocked to see a lineup at one of the shoppes I was so use to overlooking. There was some new signage dressed in with the old facade and a couple young hipsters serving what looked to be some great cuts of meat.

I ventured inside and was greeted pleasantly by the staff! Ya, I know?? I'm use to being barked at by the butchers at other fine dead animal serving establishments! The helpful staff at the meat locker were amazing. They helped to customize my order and get me on my way as soon as possible.

I suggest everyone gives it a try. You'll find unusual cuts of meat, poultry and game. Finally! Prepare some of those risky dishes that you once had on your bike ride through Europe. I'm going to start with the duck. Too bad, I won't giggle anymore!

Yilkes run!

This run is a very tough run for me. I get the up hill climb done early. So then, when I'm all pooped, I can roll down the hill. On this run I will take some cab fare... just in case! I don't usually take water cause I don't think you really need it! I could be wrong. Well, I'll give it a try. See you next spring!


I should do a little stretching prior to this one!

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