Favorite Things

Gift-giving time is here my friends! Here are a few great ideas for the active folks in your life. If you're like me, though, you might just keep a few purchases for yourself, too :)

Road ID  This is a fantastic and potentially life-saving piece of jewelry out there. A Road ID should be worn any time you head out the door for a ride or run, or even if you hit the gym by yourself. Many folks never take it off. It contains your name, allergies, emergency contact numbers and other customizable fields. I have had mine for a couple of years now and just upgraded to the interactive version which allows you to change information online at any time. Use code ARR7278 for free shipping for a limited time.

Gray Cook Bands This multipurpose bands have built-in door anchors and padded grips for comfort while performing pre-hab type exercises as prescribed by your FMS specialist (give Amy a call to schedule a free Functional Movement Screen to assess your injury risk - 575.749.6756 / ElevatedFitnessLLC@gmail.com). I recommend starting with a very light (purple) or light (pink) band.

Smartwool Socks I'm not going to lie, these are pricey. But they last forever and feel like butter on your feet. Great for hot or cold weather.






YakTrax If you love to walk, run or hike no matter what the road or trail conditions, these are an absolute must have. They easily slip onto most shoes and boots and are very lightweight. I personally have run on solid sheets of ice without any problem while wearing yaktrax. This is also a great emergency item to have in your car in case the weather turns and you need better traction for your shoes.




TRX If you haven't heard me talking about this yet, you are missing out. Perfect addition to your home gym or for the travelers in your household. Can anchor off of nearly anything for functional fitness - trees, squat rack, pullup bar, basketball goal, fence, cargo netting off the side of your tank...




TRX Rip Trainer (left) This is the new kid on the block and a lot of fun. The focus of the rip trainer is to build stabilization through anti-rotation. If you are into martial arts, there are lots of great moves just for you. If you aren't into martial arts, there are still lots of fun things to do on this versatile tool for your home gym.

EF Swag If you haven't gotten your hands on our new American Apparel cotton tees or custom-embroidered Headsweats Performance Caps or Visors, you are missing out! All are made in the good old US of A. Typo in lower image has been corrected

Foam Roller These self-massage tools have a wide range of uses and Perform Better has a nice (free!) guide for basic foam rolling technique. Less dense rollers are nice for beginners, but they lose their shape with regular use. High density rollers last much longer and are firmer for those looking for deep(er) tissue work. For you beasts out there, there's a PVC pipe covered in cloth. Perform Better is offering their molded rollers at %20 off and free shipping on orders over $49 through 12.31.12  Use this link to take advantage!

Compression Socks  Zensah makes my favorite pair of compression sleeves. They come in a variety of colors and are great if you experience calf pain after runs/workouts. More for high-mileage folks or speed work days. Most people use them for recovery after a workout as opposed to working out with them. It's up to you.




Endurox Everyone has their favorite sports drinks/gus/recovery tools. This is one of mine. Endurox is fantastic for intense workouts (not just cardio) lasting more than 60 minutes. It is also one of the few products on the market that has actual scientific research to back up it's claims. I prefer the fruit punch. For intense workouts less than 60 min, cut the serving size down





SPI Belt  I received mine as a gift and sort of tossed this mini fanny pack aside. Then I gave it a try. I love it! I don't care for putting my ipod on my arm and this is a nice alternative. Also, if you just want to carry a couple of gus or a bar without a giant belt, they fit perfectly. Also a nice spot for cash and id....yes, you should carry some with you.

Waterproof Tunes This splurge gift might just help you get through your winter yardage. Waterproof headphones must be purchased as well.

No matter what you choose, find something that will help you achieve your goals. Even if it's just squeezing in an extra few minutes on that elliptical or one final set on the rack. Stay active, friends. Happy Holidays!

Happiness is...

For those of you that know me well, you know that this past year has been pretty rough regarding my Ulcerative Colitis (UC). From searching for a new doctor, advocating for my own care and getting extremely frustrated while experimenting with a new diet, I have been exhausted. I decided to take a couple of months off of running because I simply could not run more than a couple of minutes without stopping to use the restroom. So much for running as a stress reliever! My energy was tanking and my mood was soon to follow. I didn't want to do anything but lay around. Then things started to look up and my favorite season rolled around: Autumn.

Although I haven't felt a whole lot better, my symptoms improved enough to start back running. No music, just me and the crisp fall air. And endorphins. Ahh! Endorphins! How I missed you so! Now, after 20 years of hitting the pavement, going out for a 30 min run isn't such a big deal, even if it had been 3 months. It's amazing how your body remembers. Sure, there is a little soreness and my heart and lungs have some acclimating to do. But...damn it feels good! The rest of my day was productive, energized and most important, my day was pleasant. Which got me to thinking about the different aspects of happiness.

It goes without saying that staying active is a big part of my pursuit of happiness. It doesn't mean that I have to break course records every time I'm out on the track. But I must move my body. Let's explore the other aspects of general happiness:
    - Mindset This is a big one. Do you have faith? Are you focused on something important to you?
      Do you have expectations and do you have gratitude?
    - Interaction with others. Relationships, associations, connections and forgiveness help give us a
      sense of importance and purpose.
    - Actions  Do you plan, make goals and follow through? Do you celebrate those goals and the    
      actions of others? Do you try new things? Are hobbies a part of your free time?
    - Body  How active are you in your daily life and also through exercise? Do you eat right, get
      enough sleep and manage stress appropriately?
    - Avoidance  of negativity. This includes negative Nancies at work, your nosy neighbor or simply
      bad news on TV. Do you really benefit from watching the latest arrests on the evening news?

As a member of a coaching staff for a local swim club, we try to drive in the "mindset" and "avoidance" aspect of happiness. Negativity spreads like a cancer and one sourpuss can really turn a practice south if the athletes play into someone's bad attitude. This is something that I have noticed in my personal life, too. I gauge my mood off of my husband at the end of the day. If we greet each other in a mediocre or negative tone, the rest of the evening isn't quite as cordial. So do your loved ones a favor and put on a smile.

As the saying goes, fake it until you make it!

Getting and Keeping the Ball Rolling

I've been a bit behind on the blog these past few months. Occasionally, a great topic would come up and I would sit down and write a few lines, then save it to finish on another day. Before I knew it, months had passed by and there sit my drafts. 


This is not unlike many of you out there with your fitness or 
eating habits...one day, you find yourself all fired up: You've purchased new athletic shoes, snazzy new tech shirts, downloaded some kick-ass tunes and you're ready to GO! You and your new kicks get halfway out of the driveway before any number of catastrophes happen: sick kiddo, work calls, busted water heater, allergy attack, you name it. We've all been there. Or perhaps you spent all weekend cooking delicious, healthy make-ahead meals for your family, but you forgot about your kids' pizza fundraiser on Monday and grannie's 4pm buffet excursion on Tuesday?

But the real question is, What do you do next? Do you change and put your clothes away for another day, which turns into another week, parlaying to next month....then when the weather warms up? Or do you handle the hurdle with ease and make future plans that you can commit to? To continue the healthy eating topic, do you toss the homemade meals and stuff your face with pepperoni on Monday and chicken-fried steak on Tuesday? No. You have a plan B. 

Don't get me wrong; forming plan Bs on the fly takes lots of practice! Here are some things that help exercisers/athletes when something unexpected happens:

• Cross train. If you're injured or if the weather keeps you from your preferred outdoor sport, having an arsenal of exercises or activities can really be beneficial. This especially comes in handy if you're a gym rat whose equipment is occupied and you're short on time. 
• Use your alarm. If you know in advance of a jilted schedule, wake up 30 minutes earlier than usual and tackle a quick session.
• Accountability. Have a friend, loved one or professional on whom you can rely in situations just like this. He/She can keep you on track or give you tips when life happens.
• Have an at-home workout on the back-burner at all times. Something that you can crank out in 20-30 minutes, with or without weights can really be a godsend. This is especially helpful when you're stuck at home waiting on the repairman or tending to ailing children.
• Relax. Stressing over a missed workout does more harm then good. If you absolutely don't have time to fit something in, don't worry about it. Do your best to get the most out of the rest of your workout sessions. 

The points above can be translated for the healthy eater, too:

• Cross train. Be familiar and comfortable enough with a variety of foods and menu items that you can make healthy choices with confidence. When in doubt, have the servers pack half of your meal to take home before it's even served at the table. OR, if you're tempted to snack on the remnants of your meal (even though you are satisfied), cover it in salt. :)
• Accountability. If your family or friends are supportive of your healthy eating habits, they won't sabotage you. Remind them at parties or restaurants to help keep an eye on you. "I've given up sodas, so please don't let me order one at dinner tonight," OR "I'm really trying to behave. If I make it through this party without blowing it, it will be a major milestone. Can you help me stick to one plate and lots of veggies?" Nine times out of ten, you'll get a helper not only for one night, but for life! They want to be proud of your positive changes, and they know how difficult it is to ask for help. So, ASK!
• Have something on the back-burner. Freezing leftovers, using the slow-cooker and having a few make-ahead meals and staples on hand takes less time than you think. The most challenging aspect of this point is having the forethought and organization to get a few things together, just in case. There are lots of meal plans and cookbooks out there for this specific purpose. Just remember: the easiest way to plan ahead is to double or triple a family favorite and freeze the rest.
• Relax. Don't stress over a small indulgence. In the case of grannie's salty/greasy buffet, you may not have many healthy options, but spending time with family is important. That doesn't give you a free pass to stuff your face with mac and cheese...(see cross train for more insight). Sticking to a strict diet has it's rewards; but real life, healthy eating is about moderation and balance. 

Finally, and perhaps most importantly: your activity level and healthy eating should be an inspiration to those around you, not an intimidating, impossible lifestyle. I'll leave the interpretation up to you. 

So, next time your schedule changes or little Johnny needs to be picked up early, you know where to start. 

In good health-

There's a route for everyone

Hey there, boys and girls. I wanted to let you know about a great addition to the EF website.

With the onslaught of gorgeous weather we have had lately, I was inspired to put together some of my preferred running and cycling routes. The list is finally finished! Here's the link.

Ranging in distance from .5 - 12 miles (runs) and 3 - 82 miles (rides), there is a route for everyone. Most routes are in Clovis (beginning at a variety of locations), but I threw in a few for those of you in Portales. There are even a few runs beginning at Cannon AFB, Chavez Housing, Portales Housing and 801 Housing.

Feedback would be greatly appreciated. If you have a favorite route that you would like to see published on the site, follow these directions. Creating a route is very simple.

Also, keep your eyes peeled for free 5K training plans that will be posted soon. With all of the 5Ks coming up (starting with the Jacob Thomson Memorial 5K to benefit Make A Wish Foundation), there is NO reason to stay cooped up indoors. Join us in a walk, walk-run or run. The EF Facebook page is building our events listings to include group runs and local races. Sure, the whole timeline thing is hard to get used to, but the events posting is definitely a plus. Now get outside!

Happy trails!

Workouts - it's up to YOU

Since I'll be gone for the next week, I promised you all a copy of 2 TRX workouts. If you have been attending class this month like good boys and girls (...ahem, ahem...), you should have no problem remembering these sweet moves. If you need a refresher, I have attached a few photos. My apologies for the street clothes, it just so happened I wasn't wearing my workout duds this evening when Darla was my photographer. Enjoy!

TRXers will continue to meet at scheduled times. Evening TRXers may be moving to 5:30? Contact Tom if you have questions...he always has an answer for everything. Search the mass email I sent you this afternoon for his contact info.

Both workouts are to be performed in a circuit, 3-4x each. Number of reps is listed in the right hand column. THE LAST 2 REPS OF EACH SET SHOULD BE A CHALLENGE. DON'T CHEAET YOURSELF!


***SB: Swiss Ball; MB: Medicine Ball. Substitute an abdominal exercise of your choice in place of the Bosu 1-leg v-ups if you like. 1-leg v-ups can also be performed on the purple versa disks. Just keep your bum on the ground with the Vdisks.****

Wall Squat - never mind the underpants

Flyes on Swiss Ball. You may choose to do pushups with your shins on the ball, hands on floor if you like.
Darla, let's work on angles next time :)

TRX Pull up, palms facing each other - starting position

Finishing position

Plié Squat + Rotation + Shoulder Press. Be sure to lift rear heel and rotate shoulders to 3 and 9 o'clock.

1-leg Suspended Squat on TRX. Touch the ground and then reach for the stars  :)

Oblique drops. Don't forget to do both sides!

Chair Squat. Kiss it.

Step Ups

Starburst. Alternate left and right hand in upper position.

Alternating flyes

Mountain Climbers on the chair

Unfortunately my camera batteries pooped out at this point. Remember that there is a limited TRX exercise gallery at the EF website. I plan on adding to it again soon.

See you in March!

Accountability

There are a few things that I have been meaning to talk to you all about. Today, let's start with the basics: food and activity journaling.

I won't bore you with all the junk that you already know: having someone to be accountable to not only increases your diet and exercise adherence, but increases the likelihood of success. I have quite a few clients who are more than capable of getting the work done when it comes to run or gym time, but they need a little push in the food and beverage department. Shoot, even I need a slap on the wrist (especially when it comes to salt and pepper kettle chips) from time to time.


I have always been a fan of CalorieKing.com for looking up nutritional information. They also have a great desktop journaling program, but there is a one-time fee.



A client of mine turned me onto a great website that allows for interaction between friends (similar to Facebook) regarding their diet and exercise. myfitnesspal.com  is a free website with a built-in food and exercise database for online journaling. Here's how it works:
     Go to www.myfitnesspal.com
     Sign up for a free account
     Fill out the necessary blanks so that MFP can give you an appropriate calorie range.
     Play around with the features and become familiar with the food database.
     The EF page can be found at www.myfitnesspal.com/ElevatedFitness   go here, then add me as a friend. You can also search for friends under the community tab.
     Search foods in the database or scan a barcode with your smartphone (mobile app must be installed).
     Most importantly, go to Settings--> Diary Settings--> Diary Sharing --> Choose an option that you are most comfortable with. I have set mine to "friends only".

Aside from maintaining focus on your goals, investigating nutritional information can be pretty interesting (and disgusting at times). I recently realized that a salad I really enjoy at Applebee's has 1500 calories in a full-sized portion! Whoops! Take a peek at some of your favorite chain restaurants and see what you can do to change portion size (half for now, half in a take out box) or preparation (grilled v. "crispy") to stay within a safe nutritional range.

Before you turn into a calorie-counting nutcase, I encourage you to journal well, but be realistic. Get into a good place with your intake and and then take a break from journaling. If you feel like you might be falling of the wagon, hop back on the website and journal for a few days. Journaling is not only about accountability but educating yourself on what foods are out there that are or aren't for you.

Get cracking!
 

Two Recipes to Share

For those of you that read my last post, you know that I am in the process of de-stressing my life. One easy way to streamline your week is take a few minutes on the weekend to map out your weekly meals.

If you have had a session or class with EF, you have probably heard me sing Clean Eating magazine's praises. This magazine inspired me to begin cooking back in 2007 when I stumbled upon it at a local store. I may not do all the cooking in my house, but seeing realistic recipes and healthier meals was a breath of fresh air. The magazine also highlights cooking basics that novices such as myself had never learned...like how to roast just about anything, how to peel and cut a fresh mango, etc. Back then, the magazine came out quarterly (or was it every 2 months?). The reason I bring up this magazine now is that I still subscribe. In each issue, you can find two great sections. 1: 5 budget meals and, 2: A 2-week meal plan that encompasses breakfast, lunch, dinner and 2 snacks (plus a super handy shopping list). It really doesn't get any easier than that! Most meals on the meal plan are ready in 30 minutes or less. So, my husband and I sat down and picked out a few meals that we wanted to make this week. Last night we made Island Pork and Sweet Potato Toss w/ Caramelized Onions from the Nov/Dec 2011 issue. It was great! A nice change from the same old 5 or 6 dinners that we seem to rotate through. There was a fair amount of peeling and chopping beforehand, but if the whole family chips in, dinner will be ready in a jiffy (about 30 min). Here's the recipe:

1 tsp evoo

1 1/2 lb sweet onions, sliced into thin rounds

1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce

1 orange, juiced and zested

3/4 lb pork tenderloin, cut into 1/2 in cubes

1 large granny smith apple

1- IN a large nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium for 1 min. Add onions and sauté, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes.

2- Meanwhile, fill a medium pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and reduce heat to medium; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3- To skillet with onions, stir in soy sauce, orange juice and zest. Add pork and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5 min, until pork is cooked through.

4- Meanwhile, cut apple into 1/2 in cubes. Add to pork mixture and cook for 1 min. Remove from heat and stir in potatoes. Serve immediately.

On a somewhat related note, my in-laws were kind enough to send us an immersion blender for Christmas. It makes the best smoothies! So much better than the blender and not nearly as pricey as a VitaMix. Here's one of my made up smoothies. Great for breakfast on the go or a post workout/afternoon snack. It makes 2 servings.

Cherry Smoothie (2 servings)

1 cup frozen strawberries, unsweetened

6 oz non-fat, plain greek yogurt

3-4 inches of a fresh banana

2 T ground flax meal

1/4-1/2 cup V-fusion Açai Juice (can substitute OJ if you like)

1/2 cup frozen dark sweet cherries, unsweetened

1- Microwave the strawberries for about 30 seconds; just enough to soften slightly.

2- In a tall plastic cup, combine strawberries, yogurt, banana, flax and V-fusion. Use immersion blender to mix thoroughly (can also use countertop blender if you like). Add in the cherries and mix for 15-20 seconds, or until smooth.
3- NOTE: if you'd like to increase the serving size but not the calories, add in some crushed ice.

Nutrition Info (for 1 serving)

174 cal

3.1 g fat

11.4 g protein

26.7 g carbohydrate

17.4 g sugar

135.5 mg calcium

If you have a recipe that you'd like to share, post here or on the EF Facebook page.

It's a New Year - don't stress out!

After a fantastic extended vacation, I'm back to the daily grind: training all of YOU!

While I was away, soaking up family, friends, and sleeping in past 6am, I had the opportunity to re-examine my daily stressors. Living stress-free over the vacation was an eye-opener. I was sleeping more soundly, laughing more...it was awesome! Now, I'm not one for resolutions. In my experience people that make resolutions typically don't stick with them. I feel that if you need to make a change in your life, the calendar shouldn't have a say in it. BUT, I had some time on my hands.

So, I evaluated the sources of stress in my life that I have control over.

This is what I came up with:

Schedule - Luckily for me, I make my own schedule. Unfortunately, this leads to number 2...
Saying Yes - I understand that a lot of people have this problem, especially moms! Saying yes
               has led me to currently hold about 5 different jobs at 3 different locations.
Family - This presents it's own set of stressors for each individual. Maybe finances, relationship
           woes, or screaming babies.
Chores - All of our daily responsibilities add up. Folding laundry, putting away the dishes,
            walking the dog...little things seem to pile up quickly. Are you the only one performing
            these duties?
My Brain - It sounds silly, but sometimes I let my mind get the best of me, especially before
           bed. I have a habit of replaying scenarios that went wrong or dwelling on the negative.

Do any of these sound familiar? What are your stressors?

Now that I identified a few of these problems, I am going to get to work on re-organizing and prioritizing. Uh-oh, adding tasks to my list of things to do ultimately adds stress...I can't win!

I encourage you to list your stressors and rank them. Who knows, you might even identify a source that you can do something about! The next blog posting will show you how to deal with them all.