Working Out before Working Out

I was discussing exercise and workouts with a family member during the start of the year. It's one of those typical 'new year, new you'discussion. It got a bit funny when he brought up the fact that he was looking at getting a spin bike. I was in one of those moods because I asked if he would keep it near the treadmill. Sadly some of the comment has the truth, they do have a treadmill and yes it's in the basement. To be fair, he has done Disney runs a few times so he has some cred as far as I'm concerned. However it's some of the equipment that people have bought has ended up being the place to put the folded laundry.

His plan is to go back to the gym, I can't recall if he still has membership or is going to get membership to this one gym in the city he lives in and it's going to be good. As you know I've got membership with a gym and I truly enjoy my membership. Plus I manage to get out about 2-3 times her week which I feel is a good use of my time and effort. I like it because not only is there a lot of equipment but there are classes that i can take. I have to also say there is a very nice hydro massage bed, two of them so thee is always a nice opportunity to relax and have a nice massage. It is good and makes it's a nice way to end the workout.

So where was I? Yes he wants to get a membership and then have a personal trainer help him to get the right workout that he needs.

I have to say this a good plan, one that should be able to help him gain his strength and health back to where it can be. I made one suggestion and this is a suggestion I think we should all have. He wants to start exercise in February, I made the suggestion that he start right now. He has a iPhone and has an iPad and if you have read this blog for a few years you know what I'm going to suggest, and that is Skimble. My thinking is this, before you start a serious exercise program and if you are going to have a personal trainer, then you should do something to get starting. Let me say it's not like the old 'clean the house before the cleaners get here'. What I think is that one of the problems with starting an exercise program is that you will be using muscles that are not used, at least not on a regular basis. If muscles get used, then they begin the micro-tearing and you will be stiff. Stiffness is one thing that will kill the motivation to exercise. One person made the comment that they did 100 sit ups and were stiff for days afterwards, I think they said for three days. This is a motivation killer. If, however, you start with some exercise program, especially one that uses the muscle groups that are going to be worked closely with the trainer, then one will be ready for the exercise program. I know one could ask why do you need to go to a Personal Trainer if you go to Skimble? The reason is quite simple, because at the end of the day, having a person looking you over is better and one can get good feedback. Also the Personal Trainer will be able to push you when you need to be pushed and give suggestions or push back if he or she senses you are working too hard and could injure yourself. The challenge of self starting is the risk of injury. Most of the injury will be small and will only set you back a few days, but there is also the risk. One of the risks and this is a danger we all face is that you will have an injury and you will have the attitude that you can work your way through the injury. It's never as bad as you think it is, but let me tell you, injury even the smallest ones, can lead to something worse. Never think you can work your way through the injury because the risk is that it will get worse and you will be off the exercise program for a very long time. Trust me I know this fact.

My recommendation is that a person starts slowly and accept that fact that you are not going to be able to do all you want right away. Right now I finally got my running back on after not running for over a month. The problem is I had a recurring head and chest cold so I didn't want to push it and risk it becoming even worse. After having pneumonia a couple of times, I am not going to risk anything at all. I have missed running and it feels good. I'm only running a little over 5K for now but I want to get back to adding the distance in the next week.

I'm going to ask him how his workout program has started and hopefully there will be a some good news.

What's ahead for 2017

Alright, this is the second blog of the year. I gave my report over the events and situations of last year and how it was. Generally I feel good about what was done and while I am disappointed that no running took place in December, I know that things happen. Right now I'm fighting a brand new cold, yeah illness, and so running is going to be postponed until such a time as I stop coughing a lung out. This is not to say I plan to stop all exercise, I will keep going. I have activated the LG Health app on my smartphone which contains the challenge of a 30 minute daily walk. It remains to be seen how long I will allow another app to annoy my life and make it my slave. It's bad enough with the FitBit Flex with its accompanying app that is now controlling my life, although I am slow to the mark when it comes to the whole water drinking thing, plus that sleeping is both a good thing and a bad thing. But when that little devise buzzes and the lights do the dance that demonstrate I've reached 10,000 steps it does make me happy. I have enough apps to keep me going. I'm not sure if this is all a good thing or a bad thing, perhaps I should research this and find out if there is such a thing as too many fitness apps.

I am not calling this a Resolution Blog, since that word has sadly becoming a mockery today. What it has come to mean is goals set with the desire to either forget them in a couple of months, or remind you what a undisciplined individual you really are and that means simply sitting around on the couch watching TV. However, even if I don't use the word I want to consider what I need to do this upcoming year, because there are some good goals that can be stated, things attainable and will be good for me. Let's get started:

1)Running As I wrote yesterday, I wanted to curtail my running and develop my other forms of exercise in 2016. As such, mission was accomplished. Well in 2017 I want to get my running up and going, again waiting for this ridiculous cold to pass. I'm going to give myself a week of walking and perhaps some jogging before I get back to running. I want to say that I enjoy running, it is fun to do and when I go through different neighbourhoods and see what's happening it is fun. Plus I've added some urban trails to my efforts and it has been challenging and good for my fitness. I plan to enter some races and perhaps this year run another half marathon. The first one I did was great for the first 20 km, it was the last 1.1 km that was the problem. I plan to spend more time running outside of the city, along the regional roads for example and take on those challenges.

2)Weight. Normally this is not a topic I touch upon because it is the truest road to failure, however I've got to come to grips with one horrible truth, I have developed the dad bod. Yes I've put on a few pounds and while nothing is terrible, it's snug. While I do joke and mention the fact that my six pack is kept insulated, I can lose a few pounds, probably between 5-10 pounds. I think this can be done by ramping up the cardio work and just watching what I eat. I don't have a huge diet of what would be considered junk food and I'm not going to start eating nothing but salads. There's not much else I need to cut out, not a big pop drinker for example although I do like the snacks. It is something I will keep an eye on and watch things. I don't think I'll follow any of those strange youtube channels.

3) Cycling. Going to keep this a priority for the new year. This year it will be 100 miles on the bike. I plan to start in March, providing the weather is good, that is no snow on the road and try for one good hour ride a week.

4) Gym. Still a good thing to have the gym now at 8 minutes away. I've got a few ideas. The main one will be fewer bike miles and more elliptical miles. I'm thinking I may have to get back to the treadmill, which I hate. I'm really like the elliptical machine and they do have a lot of very nice ones. I know I've got to steel myself for the sudden influx of new people, but hopefully many of them will discover the joy of fitness

5) Home Exercise Program. The workout program is still on and going strong. I will continue to make a priority of starting my day with a workout program that will get the heart rate up and myself ready to face the day.

That's my plan for 2017. You might say there are no goals, and you're right. I don't believe in goals, I believe in doing.

Looking Back at a Year

Happy New Year all my faithful readers. So it is now the official put the new calendar up on the wall and throw the old one out day. We should make something to celebrate the act of getting rid of, or recycling the old calendar and putting up the new calendar. I recall a few years ago when the people were getting upset with the Mayan Calendar it was running out and therefore the thought was the world and Universe was coming to an end. What actually happened was the calendar was coming to the end, and all that was required was to go to the local kiosk at the Mall and get the new Mayan Calendar.

So I'm looking back to the year 2016 and considering all that has happened and what it means with my exercise: 1) The Big thing on my wrist over the past year is the Fitbit Flex; I've wore it practically every day over the year and to the end of the year, I have, done 4,256,701 steps, which translate into 3,355 kilometers. Now to help understand these numbers, it means everything that the Fitbit considers as steps is part of those numbers. My last badge has been the India badge so I've done the equivalent of the coastline of India. That is quite interesting and i do look forward to another year wearing the devise. I've got to purchase a few more wristband over the next year to make sure it stays colourful.

2) When I started 2016 I decided I would cutback on my running; this was due to the number of injuries I was starting to develop and keep, especially the knees, I wanted to make sure I didn't overdo it last year. The good news in 2015 was that I surpassed 800 miles. I wanted to rest up my body and then add some other activities. I will be honest and say the I took off the month of December, due to a stupid chest cold that started the month, plus being busier more then I should have been and so I didn't have any activity for the entire month. Still I reached over 500 miles which works out to 841 kilometers, which is still acceptable. I remember when I reached over 300 miles and that was something that impressed me and it is good. Now the number of road races went down to 1 but I did do 3 virtual runs. Which was still good and I have the medals, tee shirts and the stickers, the latter are on my new laptop. They look good and I am glad to participate in the virtual runs. What is nice about the virtual runs is that they take place everywhere and anywhere so instead of going to some place special at a specific time, I just choose when I'm going to wear the tee shirt and the number, they supply the pins which is neat. One of the best runs I did was a result of a bike ride, which meant I ran down the regional road to one of the regional forests which was a great experience, and I plan to have some more of these type of runs

3) One part of my exercise I wanted to expand was the bike riding. A couple of years ago I had to buy a new bike due to an accident which destroyed the bike I had. I truly enjoyed that bike, it was great and I put a lot of distance on those wheels. Sadly, it was destroyed, not on the road but in the garage. I still get upset when I think about it, so please give me a few moments to compose myself before I continue.

Okay I'm back, the year 2015 when the old bike was destroyed and I bought a new bike, I put a whole 20 miles on it. This past year I managed to get 86.98 miles As I mentioned in the part about running, one of the places I biked to is now going to be a part of my regular running route. It's out of the city and along on the regional road. It is going to be great. It's a good route and I look forward to the new route and the new year of running. Some of the peripherals for the bike has been the handlebar mounts for my smartphone, I'm using it for my Strava app on my phone so that I've got the distance, time, calories and so on registered and uploaded. It is great, looks good and keeps the phone solid on the bike. I've got one mountain bike jersey that I plan to wear when the weather gets warm enough, plus there's a long sleeve one that I have my eye on and I will probably purchase it shortly. I'm still learning to get used to the disc brake system and I am getting better.

4)After teasing me and a lot of people for more then six months and probably closer to a year, the World Gym opened up in the downtown core of the old city of Galt. It's 8 minutes from home and 5 minutes from my office. It is great, it's not as large as the main one, but it has all the equipment that I need to have a good workout. Since it has opened, I've been to the main gym only once, and I think that's going to be it. I like the location, the way it's set up for everybody and while the lockers may be a bit small, it's okay. I'm using the main row of the coat rack to have my coat and boots so I'm not taking up a lot of space with the locker. Plus I've got a good time for a few classes and there is the hydromassage bed. I've been using the recumbent bike and now I'm going to use the elliptical machine as my cardio.

5)Yoga I went to the Yoga Conference in Toronto and I plan to get to it next year. I bought myself a new mat, Dusky Leaf, the most I've spent on a mat. I've found a lot of great videos on YouTube and are making them a part of my weekly workout.

6) My morning workout is still an activity. It gets me going and I think Eowyn enjoys having me workout downstairs. Plus when the weather was warm I was outside and it was fun.

So that's what happen last year. The next blog will consider what I want in 2017. Thanks for reading.

Being Outside

Summer is great for a number or reasons. The weather is warmer, the amount of clothes becomes less and even in the heat it is possible to be comfortable. As a runner, I feels it's always a great experience and even though I might have to run later on in the day to avoid the hot humid conditions, it is a great feeling.

It's also a great time to do the morning workout outside. As I've have written I take time almost each morning to do a series of workouts from Skimble

Each morning, I get out my yoga mat, a thicker one that I purchased a few years ago from Giant Tiger. It's a bit of a regular kind of mat so I don't mind using it outside. This is actually the answer to the trivia question, why do I have more then one mat? I have more then one mat because of different conditions and locations. Okay the Dusky Leaf one was because I wanted a different colour and was inspired after the Yoga Conference to get something different. Plus Dusky Leaf is a great Canadian company.

After the mat goes out, so does a few hand weights and any other prop I many require, plus the radio. Here is another plug for satellite radio, great variety of music and tastes. I turn on The Spa channel and listen to the bliss. Much more then the music, it's the entire experience. It's listening to the sounds of the morning. There is a lot that happens, wind sounds, bird songs, and even the neighbours part of the sound. For some of the neighbours, it's the start of the day, either getting ready for work, or jumping into the car, or the motorcycle as one neighbour does, or walking the dog.

Plus where else can you go into a tree pose by looking either at trees or some of the flowers that are set up at eye level. So everything works with this weather. It is good to be able to enjoy the outside. I know I run and bike plus walk- but to start the day outside, that makes a special experience.

Yoga Conference Toronto

I saw the information last year for this conference and my curiosity was piqued. I do enjoy going to conferences and so when I read of the Toronto Yoga Conference I thought it should be something I needed to see and experience. After all, this is called, "Miles and Mats", so any and all exercise is part of the information I want to make part of my knowledge. I will be honest, I didn't what to expect, besides the usual collection of a lot of booths with all sorts of things that would be an interesting to learn about.

While there was a cost of $15.00 for tickets that would be good for the entire four day show, I was given a couple of free tickets, and also found that there was plenty of people on Twitter that had links to even more free tickets. Now the tickets were good to get a person onto the show floor and to try out some yoga workouts and a few other things that were free. What I didn't realize there was also various meetings and learning sessions that at a cost would open to some good learning.

With free tickets I went down to Toronto. I wore comfortable clothes to try out some of the workouts, brought my travel mat and headed down there. Parking at my usual spot I jumped on the subway and off to the Metro Toronto Conference Centre. I saw a few people with mats and knew I was on the right way. Usually when I go down to the MTCC, I am in costume going to FanExpo.

I entered the Conference Centre, showed my ticket and got my bracelet. So I went up the stairs and entered the conference. It was quite the experience, there was a lot of booths which had all manner of products and services. It went from food, to mats and equipment, and all things related to Yoga. Clothes to jewelry was there for the purchase. What I was interested in was taking some of the courses. I had noticed there was a course on dealing with Yoga for Runners. It was there for all who wanted to take part. It was part of the purchase price and since the ticket was free, it was worth waiting for and having the time done. The person who was to teach was Christine Felstead, who from what I learned, had written a book with that title and produced a number of DVD's which would be there for purchase. This was a person who knew what they were talking about. So was going to wait.

While the conference was packed with booths, the middle area was called the Yoga Garden and it was here the various classes would take place. From the brochure, there would be classes one right after the other in quick succession.

What was impressive was the number of people who were putting their mats down and experience the various yoga styles. It looked good, so I took one workout before the Runner one. It was a Kundalini Yoga class. Since I am still a newbie, I didn't have much of an understand as to the style. It was taught by a very good teacher. There was a concentration of breathing, both breathe through the nose. What I have noticed is that Yoga concentrates on breathing, and it seems that Kundalini takes it a step up. I am not an expert nor will I claim to understand Kundalini at all, so I won't pretend to have an awareness, it's probably something that takes a life. It was a 30 minute class and very well attended. In fact a lot of people took advantage of the free classes, if anything this made the conference. A taste of free classes that exposed to various styles and teachers. I was only able to get over in the afternoon and I'm thinking next year I will spend more time at the Garden.

The Yoga for Runners class was an hour long and a very challenging experience. She wanted to work all those muscles that would be hard used during running. Certainly it was a good course and afterwards I felt it, especially in the leg muscles.

After those classes I walked around to see more of the conference. So many great booths and items to buy. I learned there is a program that if you bring an old Yoga mat, you can get a credit of $10.00 for the purchase of a new mat. There were the main yoga mat companies represented; Gaiam Yoga, Jade Yoga and even a new company B Yoga. There was also an announcement of Kulae opening up a Canadian website, selling great mats. This is a note to myself, next year bring the funds and purchase a new mat. Get one from one of those interesting companies. I'm thinking of the everyday style of mat, the travel seems a little too thin and I need something to bring when I travel, but give that extra padding.

One aspect I wanted to have a Thai Massage. I've heard it's an interesting experience and so I noticed a number of booths that offered massages for 10 minutes or more. After a wander, I went to the Urban Nirvana booth for a 15 minute massage, the price was $20.00 and thought it would be a good experience. Also with all the walking and Yoga, why not have a massage. It was great. Yes a lot of stretching, which was a bit intense at time, but wow, the after affect, felt so great. While the therapist did stretch and use muscle manipulation, it felt super afterwards. He gave a massage on my calf muscles that felt so good. I have got to say, the staff from Urban Nirvana was very polite and friendly. I think if I ever wanted to have another Thai Massage, it would be from Urban Nirvana.

After enjoying the sites, sounds and some free food, plus a coconut water; it was time to go. The experience overall was positive. It was a good location with lots to see and experience. Plus I did buy a towel from Jade Yoga.

Getting Ready for Bike Season

Like I mentioned in an earlier blog, I've decided I needed to increase my bike riding for this year. I just checked my mileage and I managed a whole 20 miles on the bike. Wow, over the course of 12 months, that's like 1 and a half miles a month, or a whole 2.6 kilometres. Of course I look at the fact I did run 800 miles. At the same time, I do spend a fair amount of time on the recumbent bike at the gym. Still we're talking about an imbalance when it comes to considering something else besides running as exercise.

I have always enjoyed bike riding, if I decide to go on a trip, it's a great way to see a new community or even what's around the community.

Now the issue last year, which I have mentioned was the fact that my beloved K2 Zed got involved in an accident, in the garage, and I was nowhere near it. But this is just bringing up some very harsh memories and it's not something I want to go over in my mind. The new bike is a Diadora Orma Mountain Bike. It's the first one I've owned that has a disc brake system and from what I have experienced is going to take a little time to get used to, and so the plan is to just do some safe little riding for the first little while, say the first month until I get comfortable experiencing the feel and ride of the new bike.

So to start the process, today I pumped up the tires. Got to start somewhere and it's important to have the right pressure when going for a ride. It will be a good time to start biking again.

I've bought a few small items to enhance the bike riding experience. I've got the lights on the front and back to make sure I'm seen. This is still important to do, even though I do have my doubts on the drivers in this community, much like every other community. I decided to try one of those LED lights on the front and keep the back lights the one I was able to get off the former bike. I've got a holder on the bike for my smartphone. I want to make sure I get some good statistics for each ride. I figure with a good smartphone, and I know it's good because of what I use with my various runs, I want to ensure I get the right stats from each ride. I'm debating where I want to ride. I've spent some time riding to the north and a bit to the west. I will check the maps and calculate which directions I want to go. Perhaps down to some of the local conservation areas to enjoy the areas that are set about. I won't spend a whole lot of time in Cambridge, because it's not the best place to ride. Sadly I've got to say that because of the traffic conditions and the roads that are around here. Plus there is a good strategy to get out of the city and see what's happening. A while back I went for a ride and found this interesting historical site, it was an old Mennonite church, and it wasn't on the map but there it was, so that made the ride very worthwhile.

I've also purchased one of those sports camcorders, not the GoPro make, because that's nothing I can afford, but one of those cheaper versions, let's thank a big 'thank you' to ebay shall we?

I haven't thought out how I will totally use it, I want to do more riding off-road this year as well, so perhaps a few scenes of me hitting trees or falling over rocks, that will make some interesting viewing. I want to get out more and enjoy all that biking can give me. I do need to do a bit more cross-training and not put too much pressure on my joints.

In other exercise news, the snow looks like it might be going and that will mean I'll be working again in the garden. I'm pleased to say that the crocuses survived that horrible two day ice storm that we just went through and so that augers well for a good gardening season.

As always, thanks for reading. I hope you're getting out and enjoying do something that gets your body moving.

The Pull Up

Another blog in which I do some confessions. The last time I did one of these was to admit I hate burpees. I realize I'm probably not alone in that matter, on the other hand I have talked to people who say nice things about burpees. Not sure why, but they do.

A couple of years I bought myself a pull up bar, and understand I mean the type you can place at the top of the door frame and do exercises on, with the hope I could do something about the pull up. I will say, I am totally awful when it comes to pull ups. Understand I'm not talking about the ones you do the training on with the toddlers, or the ones that inevitably wait all those who age, but the pull up.

At the gym I watch people do the pull ups, or chin ups, which ever phrase you want and it impresses me. There is a level of grace to them, it is effortless and when you see those deltoids fully pumped, you understand they've done a lot of them and it has paid up very well for them.

Me? Probably the last word I would use is 'graceful'. I'm trying to get up and do as many as I can before simply collapsing.

However this year I am going to strive to make myself not as awkward when I do them. Will I decide to do something like that at the gym, as I look around, I'm going to workout at home for the next year and continue to make it a part of my morning workout.

There's a large number of sites that can help me. I'll investigate them.

Cheers all.

A bit more Fitbit

AFter I posted last night, I thought about a few more things.

I'm including a graphic of the teal wristband, that now is on my wrist. If you go to a store, you're going to pay a fair amount for replacement bands. I'm not sure what you would get by going this route. A cursory glance and inspection makes it seem that both bands are made out of the same material, they both fit the little fitbit device. The differences are, a lack of any logos that indicates this is a Fitbit device, although one could tell, the second difference is the cost. If you go to Ebay, you will discover that besides the silicone band, you can buy bands that make it look like wrist jewelry. So obviously as I mentioned, there's a band for every taste and time. You want to go fancy, just pay your money down. The colors are amazing, from Teal, that I've posted above to slate. So whatever your taste, you can find the right band for you. The cost can be very inexpensive, from about $1.25 with free shipping and on up. The shipping probably depends upon the source of the band, form China & Hong Kong, it's free, you will wait but it is free.

Okay, so I've gone on about the band, then again I think color and style are important. We want to be individuals and so a little individuality goes a long way. Then again, go to any page about 'how to get more out of the Fitbit Flex', will include the point of getting more wristbands.

One question seems to be whether it is waterproof or not. My understanding is that information on the early bands indicated they were waterproof, however the company has changed that claim to water-resistent. Although a quick read of the manual indicates:

Your Flex can be worn while you are in the shower, or working out. It is sweat-proof, rain-proof, water resistant, and can be submerged in water up to ten meters.

I can state that it can be submerged for a length of time, on the first day of using my Fitbit, it slipped off my wrist while I was washing dishes and remained underwater for a few minutes. I sort of found it when I took the water out of the sink and there it was. I wasn't sure how it was so I dried it and waited. After a few moments it did respond so yes, it can go underwater. Although now for safety sake, I take it off before going into the shower or washing dishes.

When you open the package you will find what you think is the quick start paper, all it will state is to go to the website for the manual. There it is, all there for you to read.

Another claim is the battery life, under normal use you should go about 5-7 days between charges. Since getting it, I've recharged it twice, so that's about right. If you want to extend, the recommendation is to turn off the 'all-day sync' feature, that way you only sync when you want to sync. The Bluetooth does work very well, so it's not a stress to have it the 'all-day sync' featured turned off.

The way to get the information, such as steps or set the sleep is tapping the top of the device. For the steps, you tap it twice and wait to discern how many of the little lights are lit, or blinking. Solid means you've got the a percentage, 20% per light and blinking means you're not there yet. For the sleep mode to be turned on or off, you just keep tapping it until it vibrates and two lights blink If you got one you know what I mean. There are times it seems I tapping away and other times it almost turns on by itself. I guess I need to learn a bit of patience, or read the manual closer.

There is a silent alarm feature, another vibration that can be set through the app or website. I tried it once, it did wake me up, but I've already got an alarm set on my smartphone, so why bother. I have to say, when the vibration goes off to indicate that the # of steps has been reached, there is something soul-satisfying about that vibration. You made it, time to celebrate.

Since we are all interconnected through twitter, Facebook, Google + and whatever, Fitbit also has a social media aspect. First of all, you can find friends or become friends. It has all we want, there are badges you can achieve when you reached certain milestones, which you can see and enjoy as well as share. So you can develop a community of like minded individuals who have a fitbit flex or other fitbit devices. I'm not sure how extensive the community is, I've only got one follower. You can connect with Facebook or Google+, which in interesting. I don't know too many other devices that allow connection through Google+.

Recharging takes place through it's own charger. It is it's own style, so you can't simply use whatever you have around the house, it is proprietary. This means don't lose it otherwise you will have to figure out to get the replacement. Any place that sells Fitbit will have replacement, then there is Ebay. Let's face it, Ebay is where you go when you need something.

It seems FitBit is not resting on their laurels and they are not allowing their position to be stand-pat they are continuing to develop new features with each new iteration. The Surge is probably getting some serious buzz since it was visible on the wrist of President Obama during the shooting of the program "Comedians in the Car getting Coffee". There is the Blaze which is for those who want a lot more.

It's one of many wearables out there, I'm pleased with mind and as I said at the end of yesterday's blog, I'll learn more and apply it with my life.

FitBit

Christmas came and I ended up with a Fitbit Flex. Bit of a story behind that, but perhaps another time.

The Fitbit, a very popular fitness device. I've been watching some sports TV at the gym and there were a number of Fitbit ads. It could be argued where else would a fitness device be advertised but on a sports channel? It was a very positive ad, as they all are. In fact if one looks at the local electronic store, there are a numbers of devices that do the same. Or one could simply use the smartphone with the various apps that would give the same functionality. So why go for something on the wrist? I do have a watch, I still wear one, in fact my watch is a GPS enabled watch, which I use when I run. On the other wrist I have my various silicone bracelets, yes I still wear those. In fact, try and take them off my wrist, I don't think so. But that's not the topic. I first wondered about wearing one and was it something I would be interested.

When you purchase the Fitbit Flex, you will have the Fitbit and a wireless dongle. Chances are you're not going to use it. If you do, it plugs into the USB port on your computer desktop or laptop and it is used to synchronize the Fitbit. This is because there is a website which one can track and keep a record of the activity. However, one of the best aspects of the Fitbit is the fact that it's Bluetooth enabled, so with a good smartphone one can easily sync without having to go through a dongle.

I believe there are two main functions, at least that is what I'm using the most: measuring steps and timing sleep. The default is 10,000 steps a day. This is based on the idea that 10,000 steps is a good number to walk a day, it works out to approximately 8 km, or 5 miles a day. As we have been made aware, sitting at a desk for 8 hours or more can have a very negative impact on health. Some are calling sitting the new smoking. I don't know if I would go that far, but sitting down for a very long time can be detrimental to your overall well-being. I'm discovering that sitting down doesn't help your outlook on life at all, probably because when at work, you're doing something that takes all the attention and there's a deadline connected and it becomes you and that is a troubling place to be. Plus you're spending far too much time at Facebook and there's a big beautiful world out there, and you could be enjoying it and posting the photos you admire on the page of others. Well, that was a bit of a rant, let's get back to the steps. Your steps are measured out for you, and with the Flex, I can by tapping the top of it, get an idea of the number of steps I've taken. Plus when I reach the goal, it vibrates. In fact vibration is one of the ways the device communicates with the wearer. For true accuracy, the sync'ing with the website and more like your smartphone will give you all the information. As I mentioned, it is Bluetooth enabled and does quite a good job in the syncing, not too much of a delay. Also, through the smartphone app, you can add more data as required. One thing I keep forgetting is how much water I drink in the day. Along with the daily total, you can get an idea of how you've been doing over the past week, has it been a good week to walk, or has there been way too much sitting. As you study the graph, or even look at the daily numbers, you gain a motivation to do better. After all, how difficult is it to walk 10,000 steps, surprising sometimes it can be difficult. So you begin to strategize how you plan to either pass it or at least improve. That might be it's hidden function, not just a keeper of steps, but a motivator you wear on your wrist, at all time. Of course, if you suffer a bit with OCD, this might become a shackle, because your entire life will now be geared to those 5 little flashing LED's. This is probably part of the secret sauce of the Fitbit, you have this motivation on your wrist and you don't want to get rid of it.

. Then there is sleep. Do a search on 'not getting enough sleep'. There are all sorts of reports. One website has this comment:

Getting fewer than 6 hours of shut-eye night after night is risky. In one study, people over the age of 45 who got less than 6 hours of sleep a night doubled their chances for stroke or heart attack and were also more likely to have heart failure.

Of course if you get more then 8 hours, there are other complications. It seems for adults, the sweet spot is between 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Then again, with television and the Internet, there are so many distractions. This is where Fitbit can help, you can monitor your sleep and each morning you can download a graph that will give you the times of sleep, how many times you were either up or restless. The latter according to the help file means you were moving about, although you weren't fully awake, or you had some sleep related issues. Then there is the times you were awake. It will give you the minutes you were awake and so you will have a good idea, also it will feature the time you were awake. You can probably deduce what the problem was, mine would be the cat wanting in, and then wanting to be fed.

As with the steps, it defaults to 8 hours. So each morning, this can be downloaded and you can probably look back and understand why you were either so full of energy or why it didn't matter how much coffee you drank, you were dragging yourself at work.

Like I said there are other activities to track, such as calories burned, amount of water drank, also you can post a specific exercise, plus you get the amount of time you were active. So there is a great deal of feedback available for you to track and follow through. It's good to get feedback instead of wondering if you're doing enough, or getting enough sleep, or exercise, or water for that matter. All of this, on your wrist.

Overall, I would say the Fitbit family of devices are worth owning and using. They can be very unobtrusive, being they are just on your wrist. Although I will say, they are easily identifiable. You can customize your Fitbit, there are a large selection of wristbands of every color and design imaginable. Just check out the global flea market that is Ebay. I just purchased a teal one and it looks nice. I suspect you can get a wristband that will match your mood or outfit. I'm still learning but I think this will be an important part of my overall fitness plan. The more I learn, the more it will become a part of me.

If I was to give a downside, it's just one more device to wear. I'm still not sure how to track non moving exercise, I know it can be done through the website, but that's a bit of a pain, I wear this to the gym and when I'm working out, I would like to know how it gets tracked. Also, there is question about accuracy, some times it seems to track more steps then other devices. Still, it gives a general idea on how things are going and will help you track your day. So they are worth owning and using.

I'll keep you posted.

Goals for 2016

In my haste to complete my year end thoughts, I realized I forgot to mention that I managed to do a 5 minute wall plank, twice during the year. This was a goal I had been working on for a couple of months. It's quite the effort to get up to 5 minutes, I had used one of the wall plank programs that recommended increases in increments of 30 seconds approximate every week.

Lately I've been concentrating on the same morning routine and program. I'm going to be going over it and making changes where I feel it is necessary. There is always the risk that muscles will become used to the same routine and simply plateau. I've also commenced doing some pull ups on the pull up bar. It's going to take a lot of time to develop. I have to admit pull ups is not something I'm very good at, but now it is time to start working on that aspect of the workout.

Now the housekeeping is complete, it's time to look ahead to 2016. What are my fitness goals?

I've been thinking about running and have decided I should cut back on my miles. I think it might be a pattern I need to adopt, one year of lots of running and then tapering for the year. I'm looking at running about 660 miles. At the same time I plan to do a few races, I've got my eyes on a couple that I would like to participate and enjoy. Some of them will be ones I've done in the past, others will be new, and maybe one or two were skipped last year. If I can manage, I would enjoy doing another half marathon. There's a few changes I need to make in my training that will be help with the ending. Running will always be the essential to my fitness program and I don't ever want that to change. I've gained so much by running that I will never quit. It's a vital part of my life and that will always be there for me. I'm not sure if there is any more gear I need to buy, but I'm keeping my options open.

When it comes to races, I'm thinking I should do another Color Run, they are so much fun and they keep making them better, at least that's what I see when I visit the various webpages. Plus I need to buy some more of that gear and schwag that they make available. I still have to get a few stickers and some new bracelets.

I realized 2015 was not a good year for my bike. I have a new one and really haven't put it through the paces. I do miss my old bike, it ended it's function in a tragic accident. I know I talked about it in the last blog, so no sense repeating myself. But still, considering the miles I have put in on my bike in the past, it's time to get things going. I'm not sure where I'm going to take it, but I plan to do a lot of touring in the countryside again. I do like biking, it's a great way to release energy and to discover the country around where I live. I've been to Ayr and north to Kitchener. It's time to look around again. I'm thinking I should buy something to keep my smartphone in place on the handlebars. I'll use the built-in GPS function to get my miles going. I can say I'm looking forward to riding again. It's been a while and I know it will be part of my cross-training and should help lower the risk of injuries.

Other thoughts about the new year: well, will continue to develop my morning routine program. That should keep me going and starting the new day off in a positive way. I've been incorporating some yoga and meditation in the routine. This will expand over the next year. I've purchased a membership at yogadownload and will continue to look for routines to help. I have to say, since I've been stretching through the Camel Pose, my back feels a lot better.

An event I am looking forward to happening is the opening up of the new World Gym near my office. This will cut the commute from home to gym by about 15 minutes. As well, there will be a lot of parking in the area, so it won't be too bad come the usual January-February crush of people exercising indoors during the cold weather. Not everyone is as crazy as I am. It will be a full service gym and so everything at the main one will be there. I've heard they will offer all the classes as well, with some of the same teachers. The Gym has also made an investment in a registered massage therapist. I haven't found out about costs, but perhaps every so often, after a strenuous workout, it might be worthwhile.

So some of my goals. I know I'm not hard and fast on numbers. I have come to the conclusion the best thing to do is simply to get out there and run and not worry about the accumulated distance. I run because I enjoy it. Although I always have a number in my mind, it's the journey that becomes the best part.

So I hope you, like me will have a great year of fitness, fun and enjoying life.

A Look back at 2015

Sure, everyone has a look back segment, and I might as well look back at my own year of fitness, 2015.

Let me start with running, the Miles part of this blog. It started on January 1st when I participated in the Resolution Run. I ended up running 10K, I got a very nice jacket out of it, which I still wear for running. I'm not doing it this year because of the fact it a 2.5K loop which I did 4 times. It was a cold morning for the race with a rather bitter wind, that I got to experience 4 times along the same part of the course. Let's remind ourselves of the phrase "Polar Vortex". Cold was the theme of running for the first couple of months; January and February were horrid, lots of snow and very cold temperatures. After the arrival of Spring, the weather did get better. In fact this year I ran 800 miles and got 122 runs in, both PB's for the year. It was a great time running.

During this year I ran in 5 different communities and three different countries. One of my favorite runs took place during the week in Cuba. I did three runs from my resort in Varadero and it was a great experience. To run in shorts and in warm weather was such a treat. Not so good the first run back after Cuba. In fact I remember it being a very painful run. Nothing hurt, it was just such a shock to the system. I also had a great time running in Southern Indiana for a week, it was very hot and muggy, but a great time for running. I wish I had been closer to the Pedestrian bridge, it would have been fun to run into Kentucky from Indiana, two states at the same time.

I did a number of races during the year, one of the best was the Rock Me Anaphylaxis in Windsor. The race took place along the riverfront, so I had decided I could possibly do a sub 27 for the 5K. My time was 26'34". Not only did I do a PB but I came 3rd in my age category. Got a very nice tee and a cool medal. Another fun run was the Cambridge Mill Race, a very cool Tuesday evening in May, it was a challenging course.

Of course the highlight has to be the Army Run 13.1, my first Half-Marathon. I like to tell people I had a great time for the first 20 Km and then my calves decided to cramp up for the final 1.1 km. I might have walked/hobbled over the finish line, there was no way I was getting a DNF. It was exciting to do, not only was the course and the race an amazing experience, but let me know that 13.1 miles can be done. It one of those races that I want to do again.

Speaking of races, I did 6 during the year, hopefully about that many this year. I would like to do some I missed this year, as well as favourites.

If there is one thing I missed, it was the lack of time on the bike. As I think I reported, I had to buy a new bike due to an accident with a car and the back of the garage. I wasn't driving, I was no where near the place of the calamity. It was so sad. I still shed a tear when I think about it. I plan to spend more time on the bike in 2016.

Time on the mat and gym: this year I managed to do 34,000 push ups and 25,000 crunches. That's a lot. I'm continuing my morning exercise program, and the best thing is my Skimble workout. It's a good combination of body weight and a few others. Working very well and I'm enjoying the morning program. When I start, I stream music off YouTube and it helps. During the warmer weather and while vacationing in Cuba, I take my workout mat outside and enjoy the conditions. It is a great way to start the day, with the pleasant breeze, the sun beginning to rise and the sounds of nature. Plus while in Cuba I had a great balcony to workout and it certainly started the day in the right way. I'm not a morning person, but this is helping me change my opinion about waking up to start the day.

I still get to World Gym about twice a week. The good news, they're opening a gym just down from work. Going to be good when that finally happens.

Also started attending Yoga classes at the gym. It's fun.

Hard to believe all I did over the past year. It was good, I feel good and I'm sure I'll have an even better 2016. I'll have more to say about it in the next blog.

800

When I started the year I had thought I could possibly run about 660-670 miles. I know I've written about this, so forgive the repeat of the situation; I was going through a couple of injuries and figured I shouldn't push it much. After all I had barely reached 1000 km, 622 miles and so a gradual increase would be in order. My main thought was to consider finally doing a half-marathon, which I did in September finishing the Army Run in under 2 hours 20 minutes.

At the beginning, I did a Resolution Run up in Kitchener. While I got a very nice jacket, I'm not sure I would do it again, unless they changed the course, after all it was a 2.5 km loop. To reach the 10 Km, I did it 4 times, not bad but that wind was horrible and I got to experience four different times. I think a nice 5Km loop would have been proper.

Enough of the grousing; shortly after the half-marathon, I reached 1000km and was feeling real good. In fact since about mid-summer the symptoms which had been gradually becoming less and less were about gone. I still wore a little compression around my left knee but it was almost more out of habit or to protect rather then dealing with any actual problem. Plus, I have to say this, I had gotten very serious with treatment, especially using ice on the sore areas. It is amazing how ice can help. I got myself a couple of Dr. Ice wraps and was using them religiously. All this was helping and with the exception of my calves totally cramping up, I did the run. Okay back to the distance, I reached 1000km and felt good. A few weeks later I reached my goal of 660 miles. I should apologize for the flipping between Imperial and Metric, but that how I measure. Then it was the thought of making it to 700 miles.

Another couple of weeks later, after another race I reached 700 miles and it was then and only then I wondered if I could reach 800 miles. My furthest for the year had been 728 miles, which had amazed me then and it still amazes me. let's face it a couple of years ago I wasn't much of a runner, a very seasonal and sporadic runner at best. But the thought had creeped into my brain and I asked myself if it was possible to reach this next plateau.

After looking at my calendar, checking the weather and doing the math I came to the conclusion that it was possible. More then possible, it was my next goal for the year. And so the last 6 weeks began. I was fortunate that this part of Ontario had a very seasonal late fall and early winter; the temperatures were for the most part above freezing and there was limited moisture falling. The moisture was rain and at most I would have to wait an extra 24 hours before the next run. I also concluded that by combining longer runs with the occasional short run it was an attainable goal.

December was the month that could have been challenging but I was able to run all the times I wanted to run. Plus another fun run inspired me to keep going with a springboard to the last 50 miles, or 80 km. My pace was steady, my running was on schedule. Then finally Boxing Day arrived, all I needed was a nice 10Km run. I had taken it easy that week, due to the demands of work but the day arrived. This is just an observation, but I think I should have one the run on Christmas Day before the very delicious, very large and very filling Turkey dinner. I ran but I will say, I was still full from the day before. Filled with energy, desire and turkey I set out. It was not a pretty one but my watched binged the 10th kilometer I managed another 100 meters and stopped. The final goal for the year was reached. 800 miles. For me that was a personal best. I had thought that anything above 728 would have been good enough but still to reach 800 miles. Yes it consumed my thinking and now I look back with a great deal of satisfaction. I had done it. The photo above is me gesturing the "8" for those 800 miles. 800 great miles.

I felt so happy at that moment. It is my milestone. I did it.

I supposed I should consider what my next year's goal will be. One thought I'm having is that perhaps not as much, I don't want another injury like I had last year. Plus I have been neglecting my bike this past year. I think I need to incorporate more riding into my exercise routine. Plus I have a new bike, it's about time I put some miles on it.

Cats on Mats doing Yoga

I came across the advertisement for "Cats on Your Mats" and had to consider this a bit more. From what I gathered, this is sponsored by the Humane Society of Edmonton and it gives people who love cats an opportunity to spend some time doing yoga with cats. The great thing is, the Humane Society provides the cats, with the idea that you will so love the little fur ball that you will being the process of adopting a cat. After all what could be better then having a cat so you can perform Yoga with? After all, you can buy calendars that feature monthly photographs of cats doing various yoga poses.

Other then plenty that is.

As you know from a previous post, I had two cats, one Theo was my training coach. He would always check my poses and make sure my planks were straight enough and the hold was doing good. He would walk right underneath me a number of times to ensure the proper form. He would expect nothing more then perfection, and a good head rub. After he was satisfied, he would go to his little cat bed and relax. That was his routine. Now that he is gone, Eowyn has taken over the duties of spending time with me on my mat as I workout. She has a different style, she tends to sit at one end of the mat while I workout. There are some consequences to this and most have to do with her tail.

Cats are very friendly, very intelligent animals. Their abilities are amazing. They are also as dumb as a sack of hammers when they want to be, especially with their tails. They often leave their tails stretched out all over the place. A couple of examples that demonstrated the sack of hammer ability of a cat. So I'm working out with a couple of kettlebells. I still like working out with them. Now kettlebells can have a good bit of momentum to them, especially when doing some swings. Well, this evening, with my leg spreads and swing the kettlebell, Eowyn decides this is the best time to rub between my legs. Forget that I could clobber her quite easily if I don't pay close attention. This is what cats do, they simply do what they want and you have to make the adjustments that will protect them and so that's the way it is with cats.

Then while doing some other working out, I backed up and yes, found Eowyn's tail. Cats sound so bad when you tread on their tails. They also look so pathetic as they sit there looking back at you. They make you feel horrible and you have done something terrible.

Throw all those stretches that is part and parcel with yoga and have cats around the feet. Oh yes a recipe for disaster if ever there was one.

I read this interesting paragraph:

This course is not only healthy and fun, it also helps to socialize and enrich the lives of the shelter cats, as well as, encourages adoption by showing off the cats awesome personalities by interacting with them.

Of course you will want to adopt a cat.

Now that I've expressed the potential dangers, all those cats staring at you after treading of tails. Plus an even greater danger is that you will end up with more then one extra cat. After all, after a few sessions at the Humane Society, how can you ever go back home and not have a cat around the place.

This is truly dangerous.

So go out and do some yoga around your cat, and buy yourself a calendar.

Virtual Runs

If you've been following this blog, or have seen some of my twitter or Facebook posting, you know that I enjoy entering and participating in races. While running is good on its own, and offers a great opportunity to exercise and to get out from behind the computer or television, there's something about running in a race. I know from talking with some people, they say they're not competitive and they just do it for fun, it is when you line up that something happens. Also, a race let's you know there are other people who share you love of running. Plus it's a good way to see how you are doing. I will also say that your number one competitor is the person you see in the mirror. After all, you are taking on a challenge that has meant a lot of hours and a lot of miles on a road, or trail. Okay, perhaps some time spent on a treadmill. But I do wonder about that.

I recently did a run in Cambridge, the RememberRun. It's another one of those great runs set up and sponsored by Run Waterloo. it is one of the great groups for running in the area. When they put on a race, it's a very professional experience. They know how to do things, from the moment you enter the site to when you leave. The registration is fast, they get you the tee-shirt promptly and they offer amenities such as bag check, food and a good place to have a massage. The race I did, and it was my 3rd one, raises funds for the local Royal Canadian Legion Hall. Another good thing about the group, they sponsor some very great local charities. If you visit the website, you will notice they offer a fair number of events, a race for all types of people and all types of distances. A good time can be had by all. Besides this race, I've done three others and I'm sure as long as I'm in the area, I will participate in various races.

This year they offered a longer distance for the long race. But this year, I decided to go back and do the 5K. I've been doing the tapering after the half, so I didn't have a great deal of time with the longer 11 Km distance. I didn't want to do anything which would lead to another injury. I want to stay safe. The 5K was good, a nice track was measured out, fortunately I missed the train, which can be a problem with the later runners. It gives the runner a chance to experience both road running and some trail runner. Trails can be challenging, in fact a runner before me had a fall, fortunately the runner beside her did stop and help her, hey I would have helped if he hadn't done that. Runners can be very polite and helpful people.

I felt good with the results, another sub 28 minute run. Good and good.

What I've also discovered and decided to participate is the virtual run. I've seen advertisement regarding them as well as reading postings of individuals who have participated. What they are is you decide to sign up for a particular race, but instead of having to go to a specific location at a specific time, you simply get dressed on the day in question, put on your runners, set the smartphone or GPS watch and go for your run. Usually there is a distance and so you run that distance. When you're done, you stop, record your time, provide proof you did the activity in question and send that to the homepage of the virtual run. It's a race where you are. A lot of them will send, via email a race bib with your unique number- they expect you to wear it while you run and a medal afterwards. The photo at the top of this blof is for the race I'm going to do next month. This is called, "Trim the Tree Trot". There is a nice to wear after the race and so you will have the proof you need to say you did a race. If you read the comments, you can also do this on a treadmill, but again I ask, why would you do that? The best runs are the ones done outside. So you send the proof and I notice people will post the maps or photographs of the gps watch as the proof. A week or so later, you'll get the medal in the mail. How sweet is that? More bling for the runner.

As other races, there is a charity involved and it makes is something fun to do that help others. The cost is no different then a regular race and the difference may be a tee shirt or not. Then again, most runs have a limit for their tees. Still the medal will be yours. There is a lot of virtual races out there and something will get your attention if you do the search.

I'm looking forward to the moment when I put on the bib and do a run. While whatever food I choose to have will be whatever is available in the home when I get back, there might be a few pluses, one being my own bathroom versus the line up at the porta-john.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Cheers all.

Army Run Half Marathon

It's something I've been wanting to the last couple of years, I've been wanting to run a half marathon. I knew with my schedule and situation, I probably couldn't train for a full marathon, but the half, intrigued me. Even though I wanted, I've been concerned about if I would be able to pull it off. After all, 13.1 miles or 21.1 kilometers is a long way. We usually drive that distance, certainly never run it.

However, this was going to be the year. I had run the Army Run before, the 5K and thorough enjoyed myself. It was now time to do the half. After all, my mileage had increased significantly and I had pretty well recovered from all my problems that plagued me the second half of last year.

With that in mind, I signed up sometime in April Plus I knew Mike was going to run it as well, so I would have a partner, even though he would be starting in a different corral. Still we would be there at the same time and enjoying all the fun of running.

My training had been about all year, although in August I ramped up my mileage, having a last run of nearly 18 km, it could have been 18 + had I looked at my watch just a few moments before stopping. I went into relax and taper mode the rest of the week, letting my legs rest, doing the cross training and general strengthening and felt I was ready.

We arrived Friday night and went to the Expo Saturday to get the race kits and enjoy the sights. The Army Run is tied to the Canadian military and part of the Expo is seeing some of the equipment used by our soldiers and having opportunity to talk with them. Mike being a member of the Canadian Army Forces has a good time talking and discussing things with others in the service. It's gives us a chance to thank them all for what they do for Canada. In fact that is an important part of the experience. One of the treats, and there's probably a better word for it, is that a number of injured soldiers take part in the various runs. So you have a chance to cheer them on as they run, and run better then many of us. There are runners with one or both legs missing for example, others run with canes, but nothing stops them. It is truly an honour to run beside them. So the kits were gathered, the t was provided, the bib and pins were all there. Saturday night was a time to relax and enjoy with family. Then bed.

The next morning we got up and got ready. It was nearly a perfect day for the run, bright and sunny with almost no clouds in the sky, the temperature at run time was 11C. You couldn't ask for better. We arrived, dropped off the bag, looked around, did the final pee break, and there's lot of potapotties, good going guys. Then went to the various corrals to wait. I was back in purple, near the 2:20 pace bunny which I thought was reasonable. I had figured any time between 2:20-2:25 would be good for my first.

The Howitzer went off and the clock started, with my location, it took about 15 minutes before the race actually commenced, yeah for chips. I had my phone, my bluetooth headset and was all ready. By the way I started listening to Felicia Day's new book "You're Never Weird on the Internet". Being a fan, plus I figured I would need something funny to listen to, that wasn't at all serious. I'm listening as well to the bio of Elon Musk. It was quite a great experience setting off, and at the same time I was conscious of the fact I needed to pace myself. Looking at the graph, I did the first KM in 6:10, so a steady not ridiculous pace. What makes this run enjoyable, is the course takes a person past some of the iconic buildings and sites of Ottawa and Gatineau, plus running in two cities and two provinces makes it very nice. The scenery is great, running past the Parliament Buildings, the War Museum, the Canadian Museum of History, the National Gallery of Canada, plus a run through the grounds of Rideau Hall and a chance to shake hands with the Governor-General. Also the route is lined with musicians, from guitar, drums to the band of the Governor General's Foot Guard, resplendent in their Red Tunics. The cheering sections were fantastic and the signs were funny and inspirational. If you wanted to give up, just go through the cheering section.

My time was keeping good, for most of the run I was close to the 2:10 pace bunny. I felt good and strong. I was walking through the water stations and kept a solid pace. It was a fun experience. I high fived a lot of people and it was good. It was all good. I ran more then I walked, crossing the Alexandra Bridge and heading up Sussex Drive was not a problem. The training was paying off with a solid run. I was thinking of a time closer to 2:10.

Then I ran past the 18 Km sign.

I knew I was entering in uncharted running, but figured all was good so what would be the problem over the last 3 Km, but I was keeping a close tab in how I was feeling. I came to the water station and took both gatorade and water. Then I started to have a leg cramp. I walked and stretched, feeling I was getting out of it. Then my foot cramped up, and I had to slowly walk and stretch my toes through my shoes. I started to eat the sports beans I had brought. Again the weather was good and I was feeling find. It started to change and not for the better. I was cramping up more and more. I still tried to do some running between the cramps when bit of relief came, but by Km20 it was hopeless, both calf muscles were tight and cramping. I could only walk and walk slowly. I must not have looked good because one of the race marshalls asked how I was doing. I told him I could keep going. A bit further a young lady was on the ground getting her legs stretched, obviously the cramping had got to her as well. I realized I could ask for assistance, but there was no way I was going to stop. I was too close and although it did hurt, I wasn't going to stop.

I finally reached the finish line and crossed it.

After getting passed by so many people I was close to quitting, but just wanted it to be over. I saw the 2:15 pace bunny pass by and I simply got to the end, stopped my watch and got my finisher medal. I was hurting, With a warming blanket I went over to the food tent to get my chocolate milk, protein bar and banana. I also found Mike. He had finished although he said the last 3 Km were a challenge as well. Still we both had our medals.

It was a sore day and next few days. It took me until Thursday to start running again. The odd thing is, the only part of my legs that didn't hurt was the same calf muscles that betrayed me during the run.

At the end, it was a great experience. I finally wore the tee, because I had earned it. I kicked myself for not finishing strong but I now know, I did finish. I did the entire 21.1 km, sure cramped up, but I did it. Now I've been thinking how to improved, more water? Perhaps walking breaks, or buying and eating power gel throughout the run. I am saying to myself, I will run another half and the next time I will finish running. Was it all worth it? Yes it was. A great course, a fun experience and a super run. I'd do it again.

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Fun fact, I went back to the Rock Me Anaphylaxis and went over my time. I looked and discovered I finished third for my age group. So it's not a finisher's medal, but the award for third place. Felt very good.

Finishing Medals

I suppose I can thank James Harrison for the inspiration to this blog post. He posted on Instagram a while back the awards his two sons received from a sporting event. He made them take the awards back. He stated the reason in his account:

I came home to find out that my boys received two trophies for nothing, participation trophies! While I am very proud of my boys for everything they do and will encourage them till the day I die, these trophies will be given back until they EARN a real trophy. I'm sorry I'm not sorry for believing that everything in life should be earned and I'm not about to raise two boys to be men by making them believe that they are entitled to something just because they tried their best...cause sometimes your best is not enough, and that should drive you to want to do better...not cry and whine until somebody gives you something to shut u up and keep you happy. #harrisonfamilyvalues

It generated a lot of positive comments, from the whole problem of the entitlement culture that has been a part of school and children's sports for the past number of years. The idea behind the awards to all is ; "We all winners because we've been involved". It's the same philosophy that has brought the 0-0 soccer scores and the refusal to keep stats, standings or even declaring one side a winner and the other a loser. Of course, for soccer, 0-0, or 'nil-nil' is a typical score. I should suspect in children's soccer 0-0 is a typical score. If anyone scores it's probably as much of a shock to all the players.

By the way over 19,000 liked his comment.

A lot of people also gave some very positive comments of support to Mr. Harrison.

Then I discovered there are those in the running community who want to get rid of the finisher's medal. An article on RW online had the title of OK, Time to Retire the Finisher's Medal. The author decries the fact that finisher's medals are now part and parcel of running in races and now race directors are going out of their way to make the biggest, baddest most "I got to get me one of those" medals. They are referred to as racing bling. And we all want the bling. When I started running and racing, since the reason I started many years ago is because I wanted to do a fun run. I got a cotton tee shirt for entering. I thought that was impressive and I wore it during the race, which was among the many mistakes I did during that first race, by the way. That was more then enough to sign me up for next year. The next race I actually did well enough to finish in the top three of my age category. That was something and if I look around for a bit, I can find that medal. I won a few more medals in different races, usually the third place one. Still it was a medal and it was an accomplishment.

Years past and I stopped doing races, probably due to time and the fact my running was very much hit and miss, I would run a couple of months a year and that would be it.

After a long lay-off I signed up to do another race and believe it or not, did well enough to finish first in my age category. Then again, I was the only one in my age category, still a medal is a medal is a medal. What I want to say I've done races that only gave medals to the top three men and women, others which gave to the top three overall and top three in various age and gender groups. I've also done races which do feature some quite interesting finisher's medals. In fact, the race I did in July featured a very interesting medal,

You have to admit a guitar pick finishing medal is quite cool.

But should we get rid of the finisher's medal and only give to the winners? Or if you finish, you should get something. I've thought about it and looked at my collection. I have to think, keep giving them out. Each medal tells a story, usually something positive and good. When it comes to running in races, we like to say that our only opponent is that little voice in our heads that tell us we can't do this. If that's the case, then collect that medal, you beat your opponent and you beat them handily. If you finished, you triumphed. You won because of all those hours spent running when you could have done anything else. The medal represents dedication and the ability to stick with a plan.

What I am saying, keep giving the medals. They remind me of the challenge and the fun I had running the race.

Keep Running.

Rock Me Anaphylaxis

If you live in Windsor, Essex County, or any part of Southwestern Ontario, and you run, you might be familiar with RunningFlat. It is a local running organization that organizes races, has podcasts and generally does a good job for the running community. It offers a podcast which is based upon a radio show in CKLW AM800, to give the full name. They sponsor eight races in the Windsor-Essex County area and they range from the 5K to the full Marathon. A few of the races also include runs for children, so they are family friendly events.

Chris Uszynski has done a great job of making the events a lot of fun as well. If you go to the website, you will notice the number of races and if you go on for more detail, they all offer the two things all runners want, tee shirts and medals. The medals are very distinct and whoever is behind the design, goes out of their way to make sure they are quite distinct. The number of on-course volunteers are more then enough to keep runners on the track and there's also a lot of back-up and supplies to make sure you all have the bananas and water that's needed for after the run.

I've now done three of them, the Zombie Chase, the Color Run and just recently, Rock Me Anaphylaxis. I should also say the organization wants to be part of the community, so they always have a charity to ensure donations are made to the community. I know a lot of other races have charities and we do feel good when we combine some community good as well as exercising.

I was heading down to Windsor, which is my hometown, and that same weekend was the Rock Me Run. Of course having a race the same time I'm visiting, is a win-win for me. As an another aside, I do have a member of my family who has a very severe peanut allergy, so you might say I'm helping the family by making more people aware of the dangers of this situation. So all in all, a good reason to do a run. I also knew and this is something everybody should know, a run in Windsor is a flat run. If you are used to train and run on hills and want a break, then go to Windsor. If the thought it wouldn't be flat enough, the race was taking place along the Riverfront Trail. So there will be almost no change of elevation. If you want a PB, this might be the race to do it.

I signed up online and waited for the day to arrive. Another plus, it was on a Saturday, which tends to be a better day for me, the moral requirement and responsibility of a tuba player is a heavy one and not one that should be taken lightly. So the morning, I got up, had a nice breakfast and drove over to the Riverfront Festival Plaza, at the same time as the race, was the annual Fork & Cork festival, so there was a lot of food trucks and stands. The registration and giving of the shirts was quick and painless. Within a few minutes I was attaching my number and getting ready. One of the good things of having a food festival is a good number of porta-potties, plus the bathrooms in the festival plaza. This is important for runners and even more so for first thing in the morning.

The instruction was given, clearly understood and we all waited. As I mentioned, there was a couple of runs for the kids, both a 1 K run and a 500 meter sprint. They were fun to watch and all the kids who participated received one of the medals. The 5K was scheduled to start at 9:15AM, and they were actually a bit early. Which again, is a good thing. We all lined up, all 152 of us and waited for the blast of the horn. After some bad Michigan Wolverine jokes, apparently Chris is a Spartan, the horn was blasted and off we went. I've mentioned before that my strategy for running a 5K is very simple, run as fast as I can, for as far as I can for as long as I can. I also had set a goal of a sub 27 minute run. I've been doing 27+ long enough, I needed something faster. I was hoping to keep a close watch on my time through the GPS, but for some reason, everything was punked up and I didn't get a reading. Not sure what happened, so that strategy went by the wayside. I should say the weather was fantastic for the start, bright and sunny, moderate temperature and almost no wind. Along the route were volunteers to keep us going and to encourage us. Also a few local musicians provided some tune and gave at least an idea of the distance, or at least how much further to go. The track was well marked with the distance markers. Now it was a simple out and back so the marking were good. One of the treats of running along the River is both the Windsor Sculpture Park and the Detroit Skyline. While the years might not have been the best for Detroit, it's still inspiring to see all those tall building and the great landmarks.

A nice number of people and a nice number of all ages and both men and women. It was going to be both fun and competitive.

Not having the time, I wasn't sure what to expect as I approached the finish line, for some reason, the big clock was not visible. I think it might have had something to do with the start and finish sides of the line being reversed. So I did a quick scan to find it, the numbers were 26'45". I had done it, even though I walked for a few meters, I crushed my goal. I was so happy. I received my medal placed it gladly around my neck and walked over to get my water and banana. To achieve my goal. It felt so good. Later on a person approached me and said he was waiting for his wife to finish and he saw me nearly twist my neck off to look for the time and then he said, the look of happiness on my face made the race worth while. I was happy. I right now, look at the medal and remind myself of that great race. Was it a perfect race, no race is done perfectly. I wish I could have had the GPS working because I would have wanted to study my times and look at how things were. Was it a good run? Oh yes it was. The food was quite nice and the water felt real good. I was also curious as to my placing so I wandered over to the main station. I got my chip time, which was 26'34" even nicer, plus I was 3rd in my age group and 36th overall. Talk about being stoked after the run. They were also selling tee shirts from previous runs, so I went to get my wallet and got some money to buy last year's Zombie tee shirt. I don't know if there is an argument about finisher medals or not, but they feel so good and I believe they represent the fact that a lot of time and effort went into each person's race.

After coming back to the area, to sit down and see what else was available, I had a conversation with another runner. We asked how we did and she mentioned she wasn't sure what the time was but felt strong at the end. She was hoping for a sub-30. When she went over, her time was just a bit over 31'. Hey we've all been there as well. She was a bit disappointed, but still felt positive for her effort. We talked about other races and we talked about future runs in Windsor.

As for the allergy awareness, there was a large table of gluten-free, allegen-free snacks, which are kind of tasty. Everybody took samples and recipes, plus cards of information. There was also a bag to carry all those good things. All this was good and also made us aware of the differences in food. Just before the race, a person who suffers with allergies reminded us that not everybody can eat the same things, and there are foods which are a danger.

We also got a few tokens to enjoy some of the food trucks and I got a lemonade at the Gilligan's Lemonade Stand, what else after a good run.

The music, the course, the food trucks, all made for a real fun morning.

I'm looking over the races they have sponsored and I'm thinking that the Zombie Chase might be good reason to visit Windsor again, besides to see all the family, of course.

I would recommend that if you're in the Windsor area, or want to visit, then choose a race to run. The cost is reasonable and the course will always be good and the experience fun. For new runners, it makes for a nice 5K experience. You will feel comfortable doing one and have so much fun, you will sign up for others. Plus you will enjoy the medal you will get, because they are seriously cool. Do check out the links and make your plans. If you are going to register, and I'm able to register, say 'hi' to me at the Zombie Chase.

Burpees

A few days ago, I was finishing up my workout with some cardio on the recumbent bike. As I was getting close to the end, a young lady walked over and began her cardio work on the Elliptical Machine. What caught my attention was what she wore, and believe it or not, not her youth or attractiveness. Her workout gear had in very large bright lettering the phrase "I Hate Running". I think if I had finished, I might have gone over and let her know that running loves her.

Well, it didn't happen because she got going at a pretty good clip and I don't want to look like a creep.

Made me think about what I would wear if I thought of expressing my opinion on various exercises. It didn't take too long because if I wore such a t-shirt it would feature the words "I Hate Burpees".

Well, maybe hate is a bit strong. Well, probably not. I have mixed feelings about burpees. One feeling is, I despise them, another is, I avoid them and a third, I would rather do anything else before doing burpees.

This might be one of the brilliant parts of the Skimble workouts, there is always the risk of doing Burpees. Last year, I was part of a team that did a series which included burpees. I did dread them, but I went on and did them. Just a few weeks ago, I did another workout that included, burpees. Yes I decided to do a couple of sets of burpees. I have to say, it is a great way to work up a sweat.

Doing a search of images of burpees contain a large number under the catagory of "Hating Burpees".

I did my research and discovered burpees are actually a very efficient and effective exercise. I also learned about the origin and reason for burpees. I didn't realize that someone decided to invent this form of exercies. In fact:

According to Oxford Dictionaries Online, the exercise was named in the 1930s for American physiologist Royal H. Burpee, who developed the burpee test. He earned a PhD in applied physiology from Columbia University in 1940 and created the "burpee" exercise as part of his PhD thesis as a quick and simple way to assess fitness.[1] The exercise was popularized when the United States Armed Services adopted it as a way to assess the fitness level of recruits when the US entered WWII. Consisting of a series of the exercises performed in rapid succession, the test was meant to be a quick measure of agility, coordination and strength.

So we can thank Doctor Royal H. Burpee for bringing this to the world. I hope he got a good grade and I hope part of his presentation and defense of his thesis was to do the burpees.

I'm not going to pretend and say I'm getting the burpee and are developing a love for them, but I can see that it is an important exercise and I should do them, because they will not hurt my knees for running. As for the style, I understand there is a burpee style that doesn't the jumping at the end. Could be just as effective without the pain.

As always, I went to YouTube to see what videos are out there and I found this:

I'm not going to be a total convert to the Burpee, but as I read more about them, I realize I should incorporate them into my weekly workout.

To conclude: