Monthly Archives: September 2015
Want To Change Your Life?
Are you happy with your current condition of health? Do you worry about not being able to take care of yourself or your family because you might develop a chronic illness? Did you know that daily living activities are limited for at least 25% of those diagnosed with a chronic health condition?
Chronic health conditions also account for over 70% of deaths in the United States. Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause. Associated many times with cardiovascular disease is obesity and being overweight. This causes other conditions such as high cholesterol, diabetes, osteoarthritis, some types of cancer, shortened life expectancy, and a decreased quality of life.
Why are more Americans overweight or suffering from some chronic illness? Advanced technology is a leading cause. Addiction to TV programs, video games, and leisure time on computers cause us to sit idle more than ever. Our posture suffers from sitting so much causing low back pain. 80% of us suffer from low back pain in our lives.
It’s also important to stay healthy even if you are already in top shape.
So how do we reverse this trend and get or stay healthy? Nutrition is important. Getting outside and exercising is also critical.
Running is one of the best and easiest means of using the outdoors to get or stay fit. Running, easy? Sure if you learn how to correctly. Allow me to show you how!
OK, you already work hard at fitness and you already run. Has anyone ever showed you the best way to train? Do you sign up for races so that you have a goal and continue to run? Would you like to get better at running? Would you be happier if you did get better at running? If you are like me, when I’m happy it spreads to everyone around me or anyone who comes in contact with me. I’m much more positive, feel better, have more energy, and people talk to me back in a more positive manner.
Running can change your life! That’s not an exaggeration. Ask anyone who had the courage to make the move and start running. I’ve lost count on how many people have told me that running changed their life. It lowered their blood pressure, made them happy again, made them more self confident, raised their self-esteem, made their relationships better, and so many other positive comments.
Then I hear the excuses. I can’t run because my knees are bad or I don’t want to ruin my knees. Running correctly helps your knees! Fact! Or the big one, I don’t have time! Wow, I cringe at that one the most. Yes, we lead busy lives. You have 4 small children and your spouse is always working late or out of town on business, or I don’t have a spouse so who will watch my children? I work long hours then have to go home and feed everyone and it’s dark out when I possibly could work out.
To this I just say, “Where are your priorities?” Is your life not important? Would your family suffer from you being chronically ill, disabled, or worse, gone? Have you ever flown on an airplane somewhere? I’m betting a vast majority of you have. When you start to pull away from the gate, the flight attendant goes through their safety speech as required by law. What do they say? One thing is , “if we suddenly lose air pressure the oxygen masks will automatically drop. If you are travelling with small children, put your mask on first, then assist them.” Why? Because if you pass out you can’t help them! The same goes with the rest of your life, not just in an airplane. If you don’t take care of yourself, how can you help someone else?
Learn how to run the right way! Whether it’s to start running and get healthy, improve your running, or to become really good at running. I’m your man! I can change your life! You don’t even have to live by me. I can help you no matter where you live in the world! Ask anyone who has worked with me before. Your life should be the highest priority! Improve the quality of your life. Smile again! Feel great about yourself! Contact me! runyourbestrace@gmail.com
What You Have To Give Up To Live A Healthy Lifestyle
I saw this posted on the RRCA certified coaches’ Facebook page and thought I’d share:
What did I give up to start living a healthy lifestyle and start running?
I had to give up feeling like crap all the time
I had to give up hating myself when I looked in the mirror
I had to give up feeling like I was going to have a heart attack after climbing stairs
I had to give up wondering if I was going to live to see 50
I had to give up self doubt
I had to give up high cholesterol and triglycerides
I had to give up weakness and fear.
I had to give up buying expensive, ugly clothes because they were the only ones in my size.
I had to give up hiding behind something when getting my picture taken.
I had to give up getting sick a lot.
I had to give up shortness of breath just tying my shoes.
I had to give up sleep apnea.
I had to give up scaring my wife because I quit breathing while I slept
I had to give up not having much of a future
and worst of all…..
I had to give up giving up.
yup, I lost a lot in this journey… poor me.
I look at what an unhealthy lifestyle did to me and how much i was robbed of my life, it looks like I lost the bad and adopted the best thing going.
Quit…and do what? Go back to “normal”? Normal is what got me to where I was.
That kind of living is totally abnormal to me now and there is no going back. I love my new life.
It may seem like a sacrifice now, but the payoff is huge. After a while, you will look back and laugh at what you thought was such a big thing that you had to give up and it really wasn’t a loss at all.
You have everything to gain and nothing to lose..
Go for a run, you wont miss a thing……
I promise…
-Robert Wadhams
Thinking About Hiring A Running Coach?
You’ve read all of the articles in Runner’s World, Running Times, on running websites and Facebook pages. Yes, having a running coach helps tremendously in your quest to improve your running. Even if the goal is to enjoy running more, a coach can help.
If the coach is like me, he or she will be certified (I am through the Road Runners Club of America), will take the time to do a detailed analysis of your strengths and weaknesses, and from learning all about your running habits and goals, create a plan to get you going on that journey.
No one has ever achieved greatness on their own. Did you change your own diaper when you were a baby? Sounds disgusting but you get my point. Leave your comfort zone. Hire a coach.
“Oh it’s too expensive!” You probably will be surprised how you can’t afford not to hire a coach if you really want to get better at running or improve your fitness. Talk to me about your goals and limitations and I can help find the right way to go about this. How much money do you waste on things that are actually taking you farther away from your goal? Bad food, too much alcohol, buying clothes that you really don’t need. I’m sure we can find a way to budget this if you really want it bad enough.
Once you make that leap to finally go after that fastest race ever, first half or full marathon, even finish your first 5K, what else is it going to cost you? Some time and effort. A coach can only put the plan in place and motivate you. He or she cannot run for you or do the work. I will motivate the heck out of you and make you want to work hard, but you still have to do it. That means sometimes getting out of that warm comfortable bed and getting outside to run. You have to commit to doing what was prescribed. That also includes ancillary work outside of running. I usually give strength exercises to help with whatever weaknesses I found on day one. I guarantee it will be worth every penny! You can make time to get it done. There is a way. I work with busy people all of the time. I work with single parents who have to juggle their lives.
The end result? A happier, more self confident, and awesome person. You will set an example for your children, spouse, parents, or YOU! Show yourself you can do it. Be healthy for your loved ones or just for your piece of mind. You become happier you will make them happier.
I can coach you in person, in a group, or online from anywhere in the world.
How do I make this leap? Several ways.
-Send me an email at runyourbestrace@gmail.com with your intentions or questions. No I will not come through the internet and bite you. No I will not share your email address with anyone else. I respect your privacy.
-You can also find me on October 3rd at the OctoHalf Half Marathon expo from 10AM to 4PM. This is held at the Hatfield Township Rocktoberfest, John S. Clemens Memorial Park, Fairgrounds Rd. at Clemens Rd in Hatfield. Even if you’re not running the race come find my booth and get to know me.
-Set up a personal meeting, we can find a day and time where I will run with you, or just sit and chat about your goals. How do you know you will like your coach unless you meet him or her?
-Look for upcoming group information sessions. If enough of you are interested I will set up a time and place and meet with your group or a group of individuals who want more information. If this interests you please contact me. I will post any information meetings on this website and my Facebook page.
For any of these options contact me at runyourbestrace@gmail.com!!! Make that leap, finally! You deserve it! Don’t wait until New Year’s Day to start!
Time to Blog Again
First of all, if you were following this blog, I apologize for not writing in the past six months. March to September tends to be the busiest time of the year for me. I plan to make this site a priority from here on out.
Do you really want to know what got me going again? Innocent runners who have no idea they just motivated me again, and a race that I tried to do last Sunday.
First the runners. I never had such a good time running as I did on Monday. I was showing three runners the upcoming Octohalf race course. What I didn’t know before hand was that these awesome runners would give me such a charge. For each one this or the Rock n Roll Half in late October is their first half marathon. The Octohalf is less than three weeks away and we were going over each square inch of the course, which is what I do for me, therefore I share with anyone I am coaching. I pay attention to every detail and try to teach them my methodology. Isn’t that what coaches do?
I am blessed that everyone I have ever coached has been so kind and full of respect that they show up on time. I understand a few minutes here and there you cannot predict the last minute red light, etc. Honestly, I am in awe that in this day and age of being overworked, juggling multiple jobs, being a single parent, not one runner has ever made me angry for delaying a workout. I think that shows that runners, in general, are awesome people, full of respect for fellow mankind.
So I have three runners learning the course ready to go. One has been running with me for a couple of months now and is the most likable person I have met. She brings energy every time we run. She doesn’t know it but she gets me pumped to run (OK, maybe a chance that she knows now if she reads this). The other two are new to the course. One is my regular runner’s friend. The other just found out about my course training recently.
It’s 6:45 AM. Who is smiling that early? All four of us! Why am I smiling? Because the other 3 brought energy to the group. If I could wake up every morning like this I would feel like I was in heaven. My normal routine is, family gone off to work, then I decide to get out of bed and start my day. Or get up before they do and go run. No people interaction at all. I am so used to that. But today it’s different. Two strangers and a crazy running student who should be a CEO of something since she is so intelligent and has so much energy early in the morning. Wow, made my day. They listened to everything I had to say and that alone made me feel good. On top of that they laughed, made jokes.
I pointed out the details of the course. That’s what I do. I am a scientist and analyst of running. I crunch every number that my Garmin gives me, mix it with the personal vital data that I have on each runner and try to dial in the perfect training plan for each one of my students, online or in person. Look as far as you can and draw a straight line with your imagination and run that straight line is what I teach. There’s the geometry that I was so good at in high school coming to use. The runners were all courteous and listened and I felt that they understood what I said. They stopped talking when I spoke. Even if I interrupted them. What a great feeling! All in between them having fun and laughing. What a coach’s dream. Runners that listen but still have fun. I had the pleasure of coaching one of those to her first half marathon last year at this time. I miss her so much. I wish all of my runners would need me forever but that’s not happening. It pumps me up. It gets my own personal training going full steam ahead.
OK, Sunday’s race. Coming off of the ultimate high for me, qualifying for the Boston Marathon, it has been a struggle to regain the personal running motivation. I tried to do a 5K because a friend mentioned that they were in need of runners for a local 5K race. I actually jogged the course to warmup so that I knew it. I left the start line and that was it. I had no mojo. I finished almost a minute worse than any other 5K I’ve ever run. I started wondering. Am I done? Is training my runners enough satisfaction for me?
After the race, I was so humbled by the lack of effort. I am so competitive. That got me steamed on my drive home that I would run less than 100% when I have an example to set. The next day there I was facing runners who were listening to every word I said hoping to gain knowledge to allow them to get better. Wow. Talk about being taught a lesson when I was supposed to be doing the lesson teaching. My next personal workout was this morning. Let’s just say I’m back to normal. See you soon!
Run Your Best Race ™ 