Using the right Gear & Why it’s important

What are running shoes so expensive at a running store compare to your average running shoes at a department store. Well there is a lot to running shoes, the fit & running form, different levels of stability and support, hence a lot of different kinds of shoes. First off, go to a reputable running store and get a  bio mechanical analysis, all that is, is you run on a treadmill and a store rep will film your feet while run, this way you can get an analysis of your foot stride and mechanics, in order to be fit in the correct shoe for you. This way you avoid buying several pairs of shoes that may hurt your feet and cause you pain in the future or waste your money trying to find the right.

I must admit I have been riding my bike for a while without a good bike fit. Finally I got a bike fit and now not only do I feel the difference but I understand how important that is. I thought since I’m a female and I have a women’s specific bike that the size fits, then how different can a bike fit be. Well it sure makes a huge difference. For the longest time I thought I need a softer bike seat, come to fine, that my bike seat is fine just that it was tilted too high for comfort.  Basically a bike fit will help you attain more comfort on the bike but more importantly avoid injury. At the bike fit they will put you on a trainer and film your motion before and after the fit so you can see the difference in your stride, you seat angle, seat-to-handlebar distance, seat height, toe clip length/cleat position, handlebar drop and much more. This will all help you be more efficient and less injury prone.

Just remember it is National Bike Month

“If you worried about falling off the bike, you'd never get on.”  Lance Armstrong

“If you are tired of staring over, STOP quitting”

I have found myself constantly thinking: ok this Monday I’m starting over. Every Monday is a new beginning for me. Especially coming back from a vacation or falling into a 3-5 day slump. But I have come to realize, we are always building up and not needing to start over. Sometime your body need s long break that does not mean you have lost all you have worked for. All you do in between also counts just because it’s not “part of your training plan” doesn’t mean it doesn’t count. Health & Fitness is a lifetime process. We are always building up.  I think the starting over concept may apply if you have not been healthy for a long period of time. Even then your body has a lot of muscle memory, it just need s to be exercised.  Muscle memory is pretty remarkable. When  you take a couple of weeks off, yes it might take a week or two to get back into the swing of things, but after that initial phase you fall right back where you were. 

Not all activity is the same. We should constantly have variety in our and fitness just like we preach in our diets. We all hit plateaus, & muscle confusion is important to counter that. Rotating your workouts & activity is necessary. Our body is a whole unit; you can’t improve only working on one thing. We all know the runners that all they do is run, no upper body strength, no flexibility and then when they can’t run for some reason they lose it. If injury has taught me one thing, it’s BE CREATIVE! If you can’t run, try swimming, yoga, lifting, walking, there is a benefit to everything. Mix it up.

I was looking at running shoes the other day and I like a particular brand and style for the most part, but while I was doing a shoe fit analysis the person helping me made a very good point. If this brand switches something or your foot gets used to only one fit, you will adapt to it and if you ever switch, you are more injury prone. So try to use a variety of light, heavy, less & more support in your shoes and you will cover more bases and your feet will easily adapt and get stronger. Light bulb went on, that is how our bodies work! 

Remember you are stronger than you think, just because you took a break doesn’t mean you lost all you have been working for. Mix it up, take a break and keep you head high, because YOU CAN ACHIEVE IT!

Sunshine, The Ocean & Yoga

Many things make me happy but a few make me even happier. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to go to Hawaii and enjoy a piece of paradise. One of my favorite things I did was take a yoga class on the beach. The view was remarkable, the blue skies paired with the turquoise ocean was picturesque something straight out of a postcard. Take my practice to the ocean side and being able to smell the ocean while practicing yoga was very refreshing and awakening. Feeling a slight ocean breeze and listening to the sound of the palm trees over your head while moving was truly what paradise is about.  The white sand the perfect amount of sunshine and listening to the waves in Savasana was the most relaxed I have ever been in my life. If you ever have the opportunity to take your yoga practice to the beach, do it. It’s a very special way to connect yourself to the perfection of nature.

Namaste