running
I'm still here
07/20/09 08:55 PM Filed in: Personal
I wanna catch you up in my life and provide a small justification of why I haven’t blogged in two months:
I moved and started a new job.
Things are going really well here in Salt Lake for me personally and professionally. I really enjoy working at PeopleSmarts. I also really look forward to the near future and distant future with the company. We have some very fun and innovative training and consulting products we’re working on to help companies be profitable and sustainable. (I do the marketing stuff).
My wife and I moved to our new place in Daybreak at the beginning of June and I love the trail system they have set up. For about three weeks now, I have been getting up and running again. I’ve averaged about 25 miles per week. I’ve been at the plateau of about 220-225 pounds for about six months, so it is nice to be able to get over all of the change in jobs and relocating and get back into the groove of weight loss.
My current goal is to get to 199 lbs by mid September. That is a lot of weight fast, but so far so good.
I’ve been hearing some great feedback from people who have read the book and are implementing some of my suggestions and tips. It is really fun to see and hear people have results. It makes me excited and makes me want to help you wherever I can so always feel free to connect with me.
Holland
I moved and started a new job.
Things are going really well here in Salt Lake for me personally and professionally. I really enjoy working at PeopleSmarts. I also really look forward to the near future and distant future with the company. We have some very fun and innovative training and consulting products we’re working on to help companies be profitable and sustainable. (I do the marketing stuff).
My wife and I moved to our new place in Daybreak at the beginning of June and I love the trail system they have set up. For about three weeks now, I have been getting up and running again. I’ve averaged about 25 miles per week. I’ve been at the plateau of about 220-225 pounds for about six months, so it is nice to be able to get over all of the change in jobs and relocating and get back into the groove of weight loss.
My current goal is to get to 199 lbs by mid September. That is a lot of weight fast, but so far so good.
I’ve been hearing some great feedback from people who have read the book and are implementing some of my suggestions and tips. It is really fun to see and hear people have results. It makes me excited and makes me want to help you wherever I can so always feel free to connect with me.
Holland
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New Shoes
Last week was the week of the new shoe for me. I got two new pairs of shoes. One pair for basketball and one for running. It seems like all of my shoes are wearing out at the same time... I could use some new dress shoes and casual shoes too. Oh well, those can weight
Anyway, the new running shoes are quite nice, Asics Gel-Kinsei. (Similar to the above image.) I tried looking at two local running shops, (Salt Lake Running Company, Wasatch Running) but couldn’t find something within my price target (<$80). I ended up at Sports Authority and while I didn’t get the same type of service as at a running shop, the sales people were very friendly.
This is my second pair of Asics, but I had to choose a different size because Sports Authority doesn’t carry 12.5. I got 13 instead of 12 because it felt better. Well, I ran on the treadmill this morning with the shoes and liked ‘em till the very end when the heel started to rub the wrong way. I’m going to give it another go on my Wednesday run, but will have to return them if they still rub.
So what? Well, it got me thinking of some of the things I learned at my favorite running shop: The Starting Block (in Missouri). The owners are great and the service is wonderful. They do a video gait analysis then recommend shoes that will best help you on your run. I learned that I am a neutral runner which means I run with pretty good form.
I also learned the importance of actually running (on a treadmill) before you buy the shoes. Once you buy them, you can continue to run on a treadmill to be sure they’re right and return/exchange them for the right fit. Also, running shoes should offer about a thumbnails width between the end of the big toe and shoe when standing. This gives the foot plenty of room to move while running.
Finally, I learned that shoes break down over time (~350 miles). If the shoe is broken down inside, even if it looks fine on the exterior, you increase the risk of injury and it can make you sorer faster.
Anyway, the new running shoes are quite nice, Asics Gel-Kinsei. (Similar to the above image.) I tried looking at two local running shops, (Salt Lake Running Company, Wasatch Running) but couldn’t find something within my price target (<$80). I ended up at Sports Authority and while I didn’t get the same type of service as at a running shop, the sales people were very friendly.
This is my second pair of Asics, but I had to choose a different size because Sports Authority doesn’t carry 12.5. I got 13 instead of 12 because it felt better. Well, I ran on the treadmill this morning with the shoes and liked ‘em till the very end when the heel started to rub the wrong way. I’m going to give it another go on my Wednesday run, but will have to return them if they still rub.
So what? Well, it got me thinking of some of the things I learned at my favorite running shop: The Starting Block (in Missouri). The owners are great and the service is wonderful. They do a video gait analysis then recommend shoes that will best help you on your run. I learned that I am a neutral runner which means I run with pretty good form.
I also learned the importance of actually running (on a treadmill) before you buy the shoes. Once you buy them, you can continue to run on a treadmill to be sure they’re right and return/exchange them for the right fit. Also, running shoes should offer about a thumbnails width between the end of the big toe and shoe when standing. This gives the foot plenty of room to move while running.
Finally, I learned that shoes break down over time (~350 miles). If the shoe is broken down inside, even if it looks fine on the exterior, you increase the risk of injury and it can make you sorer faster.
Above the Neck
I thought this blog post from Fitness magazines senior editor, Bethany Gumper, was a good thought on whether or not to work out when ill. She says that if your symptoms are “above the neck” then it is typically okay to work-out. I like this terminology.
Typically, if I think I can at least walk for a bit, I almost always feel better having worked-out than not. If I’m sick with something other than a cold, I think it is wise to rest until your body can catch up.
I first heard about this post from Twitter.
Typically, if I think I can at least walk for a bit, I almost always feel better having worked-out than not. If I’m sick with something other than a cold, I think it is wise to rest until your body can catch up.
I first heard about this post from Twitter.
Vacation Thoughts
03/24/09 12:01 PM Filed in: Personal
Well, our wonderful vacation has finally come to an end and we’re now back home. We had a lot of fun. Disney does a lot of things right in terms of marketing, customer service, expectation management, etc. They have things set up down there to make money and lots of it. Oh, and they do provide a fun and memorable experience too.
If you care to hear, here are some of my observations from the trip.
Disney does not provide adequate sidewalks between resorts. For the very few people that would be interested in walking or cycling between the parks or hotels, there isn’t much to do besides be on the roads. As Disney becomes more health conscious and green, perhaps they will add bicycle rental to their transportation options. (Hey, it’d be another revenue stream (if anyone used it)).
While the food in the parks (and everywhere on Disney property) is very expensive, so I appreciate Disney’s open door policy when it comes to bringing in outside food and drinks.
Our hotel (All Star Sports) had no weight or exercise room, while I don’t blame them, it would have been nice. It is my understanding that the more expensive resorts have better exercise options.
Pool hours were until midnight. This didn’t matter to us, but as a child it always made me sad that hotel pools weren’t open later. This is a plus for Disney.
Allegedly, Disney has been working on improving the healthiness of their children’s menu’s. Kids can still have soda and fries as an option, but apple slices, grapes, carrot sticks and the like are commonly the standard side items for kids meals.
Maybe I’ll voice some of my gripes about the Southwest Air flights we used at a later time.
While there are certainly less expensive places to vacation, Walt Disney World provides a great time to spend with those you love. If you haven’t been, I recommend going.
If you care to hear, here are some of my observations from the trip.
Disney does not provide adequate sidewalks between resorts. For the very few people that would be interested in walking or cycling between the parks or hotels, there isn’t much to do besides be on the roads. As Disney becomes more health conscious and green, perhaps they will add bicycle rental to their transportation options. (Hey, it’d be another revenue stream (if anyone used it)).
While the food in the parks (and everywhere on Disney property) is very expensive, so I appreciate Disney’s open door policy when it comes to bringing in outside food and drinks.
Our hotel (All Star Sports) had no weight or exercise room, while I don’t blame them, it would have been nice. It is my understanding that the more expensive resorts have better exercise options.
Pool hours were until midnight. This didn’t matter to us, but as a child it always made me sad that hotel pools weren’t open later. This is a plus for Disney.
Allegedly, Disney has been working on improving the healthiness of their children’s menu’s. Kids can still have soda and fries as an option, but apple slices, grapes, carrot sticks and the like are commonly the standard side items for kids meals.
Maybe I’ll voice some of my gripes about the Southwest Air flights we used at a later time.
While there are certainly less expensive places to vacation, Walt Disney World provides a great time to spend with those you love. If you haven’t been, I recommend going.
Newton's Nature
03/06/09 10:45 AM Filed in: Cardio
I just read another very interesting article regarding mid-foot running. (I posted a few weeks ago about Newton shoes.) This article is again found on the Newton blog. It references an article from Popular Science about how humans are natural long distance runners and can “outrun just about any other creature on the planet”.
I’ve never thought about that before, but think it is a great way to look at how we are designed to run. Before modern transportation, we must have run an awful lot (when we weren’t riding horses).
Have a read of the above links. Pretty interesting stuff. I’m still enthralled by Newton shoes and look forward to trying them someday.
I’ve never thought about that before, but think it is a great way to look at how we are designed to run. Before modern transportation, we must have run an awful lot (when we weren’t riding horses
).Have a read of the above links. Pretty interesting stuff. I’m still enthralled by Newton shoes and look forward to trying them someday.
Bike Stitch
02/25/09 04:24 PM Filed in: Cardio
I did a bike ride for cardio today and it was a good time. It was about 50º outside, so I couldn’t help but get out. I live at the base of a little mountain in the Salt Lake valley called Steep Mountain with about 1000 foot vertical change, so it is about 30 minutes up and 7 minutes down.
Anyway, I wasn’t on my ride too far before an uncomfortable side cramp hit me. I did my best to just work through it, but was curious if there was anything knew I could learn about cramps when I got back. So, I turned to the proverbial source of knowledge... Wikipedia
Here’s a link to the page, but I thought I’d list the things I did wrong (according to Wikipedia) before my ride to possibly complicate the benign side cramp:
Anyway, I wasn’t on my ride too far before an uncomfortable side cramp hit me. I did my best to just work through it, but was curious if there was anything knew I could learn about cramps when I got back. So, I turned to the proverbial source of knowledge... Wikipedia
Here’s a link to the page, but I thought I’d list the things I did wrong (according to Wikipedia) before my ride to possibly complicate the benign side cramp:
- I ate a snack just before I left.
- I probably haven’t had enough water intake today.
- I didn’t warm-up as much as I could have.
- I didn’t gradually increase the intensity of the ride (I got right into going up the hill.)
Newton Shoes
02/17/09 06:53 PM Filed in: Cardio
I was looking through a running magazine the other day (Runners World?) and saw an ad for Newton Running shoes. I thought it’d be pretty cool to have a shoe with my name on it (unlike NikeID), so I looked them up. Take a look... they’ve got a pretty cool and unique technology that allegedly helps runners move with a more natural motion. They claim that too many of us run with a heal strike first whereas we should be running with a forefoot strike.
I’d like to try them out, but am mid-cycle with my current shoes and haven’t budgeted for their $150+ price tag. But I’ll post about them if I get a chance to learn more.
Here’s a (YouTube) video from their website:
I’d like to try them out, but am mid-cycle with my current shoes and haven’t budgeted for their $150+ price tag. But I’ll post about them if I get a chance to learn more.
Here’s a (YouTube) video from their website:
Run More
03/11/09 11:15 PM Filed in: Cardio
If your goal is weight loss, you must burn more calories than you take in. The bigger the deficit (caloric deficit) the more fat weight you will lose. To optimize the time you spend trying to create this deficit, run. There are few things that burn as many calories as running does. Biking, sports, elliptical training, and many others certainly are good and burn calories, but they don't work as well as good old fashioned running.