I'm looking out the window at a crisp day with pretty foliage on the hills but our woods trails are pretty muddy.  Yet, snow showers are in the forecast for tomorrow, and the week ahead looks a little raw and damp so it will be a good day to get out and run with the Vizsla.  Another pair of muddy Ascics is no big deal.

But, while procrastinating by the wood fire a bit, I'll lay out some exercise ideas on what works for me - to get me out of bed, or away from the desk.  I'm not a fitness fanatic -- but like most of us, finds that the day goes better for me (and those around me) if I get a little exercise.  It works the same way for my Vizsla -- no workout and someone is going to pay. 

Finding time for fitness starts for me with two major decisions: 1)priority for exercise, and 2) planning workouts.

Set Your Exercise Priority High

We need to move exercise way up near the top of our personal priority list.  For me, it’s one of the things I’m always thinking about.  It’s a given that I’ll probably exercise -- that’s just part of my life, but what I do, where I do it, and when in the day can I fit it in, are all decisions to make. And then change it if need be.  Schedule a rest day -- and do it without guilt. Mix things up to keep for overusing muscles and to keep it interesting.

Plan Workouts
I tend to decide about exercise early each day, taking into consideration my preceeding exercise sessions (if I’ve run three times in a row, I’ll cycle or lift), how I feel physically, and when will I have time.  Of course, if I’m looking at a real early workout, I’ll decide that the night before.  If I have travel or other time commitments up ahead, I’ll do some rough planning for a weekend or a week. (”We’ll get there early enough for a quick run, then I can do a weight session next morning in the motel workout room.”)  The trick is to plan so that you have a time set up but then can change routines if you’d rather walk with the family than run solo.

It’s easy to get “preachy” when talking about finding time for fitness but that’s not the point. I just think that by moving exercise way up the priority chain, by thinking ahead on what the game plan for exercise is, and by being flexible (”It’s slushy, screw the run, I’m going to go downstairs and row”), exercise becomes part of your daily routine.  It has mine. Time to find the orange vest (it's bow hunting season) and loosen up.  The dog is ready to go.  Stay fit.

image from dawn pink chick

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Olympic gold medal winner Joan Benoit Samuelson came to Vermont last weekend and won the Crowley 10k road race in Rutland.  Until I read about the race, I hadn’t realized that the 52-year-old was having such a good year.  I searched and found that she had won the Oklahoma City Memorial Half-Marathon and has an ambitious racing schedule for the rest of the year.

I had the privilege of meeting Joan back in 1991 at a conference in Maine where she was our keynote speaker.  I sat across from her at lunch and remember talking to her about my first book (Runner’s Guide to Cross Country Skiing) and giving her a copy.  I still have her gracious note back to me and that’s the person I remember, a gracious, grounded mom -- listening to others, chatting like a middle-of-the-pack runner -- and then delivering a powerful fitness message to the attendees.

Of course, I saved my notes from her talk.  “You need to be grounded ... home and family ... using imagery to put the mind at ease.  Set aside 1 or 2 hours a day to do something for yourself.  Life is a balancing act.”

She had passed on the 1988 Olympics because of her daughter born the fall before but she talked to us about her thinking about the 1992 Barcelona games -- how she’d have to uproot her family for a month to a hot place, how Scott would have to use up his leave .. and how she was leaning toward a 10K even though her chances of qualifying were better in the marathon.  (As it turned out, she was injured and did not participate.)  She was a delight and you’d never have known that she was the first woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the marathon.

Larry Eder wrote this about Joan:

When Joan Benoit hit the Los Angeles coliseum, in August 1984, the crowd of 70,000 erupted in a huge roar. In the first Olympic marathon, in a race that should have been won by Grete Waitz, then seven time NYC champion and World Champion, or Ingrid Kristiansen, or even Portugals' Rosa Mota!

How could this young Mainer, who seemed to get injured at the most opportune times, the last one about twelve weeks before the Olympics, take the lead on the LA Freeway and not loose it? In fact, Joan had played chicken with the world's best marathoners, and won!

When one sees Joan Benoit Samuelson now, many see this thoughtful, quiet Zen master. When one watches her run, consider for a moment that there were times in her career that most elite guys would not train with her - Joan was a training animal!

Elite athletes can be jerks or they can be wonderful examples for others.  Joan Benoit Samuelson, has not only had a great running career, raising a family, supporting women’s running and a number of charities, fighting injuries, while keeping her grace and most of her speed and endurance.  It’s cool to see her compete with women 20 years younger but it’s also great to see this icon of running, like her buddy Bill Rogers who also ran the Prouty, get out there and show us that they still love to run - and still love to compete.  One young woman runner/blogger put it like this after being in a race with her this month: “She's almost old enough for AARP and her 5K pace is sub-6:00.”   

I’ll be watching results for Joan Samuelson a little more closely in the months ahead and recall that young woman who talked to us nearly two decades ago about her love of running in the foggy mornings in Maine, her balancing act with her young family, and her guiding practices: determination, dedication, and desire.

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photo  from Wikipedia 

Once considered by some of us as just for elite athletes or wealthy matrons, personal training has become much more a part of the training programs for "ordinary" folks.  We have looked at this topic and provided some advice on selecting personal trainers in past posts.

Now, a New York Times article spotlights some success stories and says in part: "...Exercise physiologists and coaches say most people who want to run, swim, cycle or row faster or improve in almost any sport do not appreciate what can be accomplished with training nor how to do it..." 

The article points out the benefits of training under the eye of a coach/trainer and has a number of good examples.  Want to get faster -- get a trainer.  (Read NYT article)

 photo by wwarby  

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As we head into spring, it's a great time to walk a bit more, shed a few pounds, pick up a new sport, or just get outside in the longer days and milder temperatures. Here's a list of some of my ideas on how to get psyched to get more exercise.  I bet you can add your own top ten.

1.    Make Exercise a “to do" -- it needs to be on the schedule and treated just like any other personal appointment.  Keep a to-do list and move exercise way up priority-wise.  Mine comes up daily on my Palm desktop -- I enjoy checking it of each day -- even planned rest days.

2.    Give Yourself Permission to Take Time To Get in Shape – to often, we think we don’t have time in our busy schedules to exercise. 

3.    Hire a Personal Trainer – you don’t have to be an elite athlete to benefit from personal coaching.  Here is some practical guidance on selecting a personal trainer.

4.    Buy Yourself a Piece of New Fitness Gear – a new pair of running shoes or a new windsuit can perk up your workouts.  Or get someone else to get it: my daughter bought me a long-sleeved shirt made of some special material and I love running in it on these spring days.

5.    Aim Toward a Goal -- I like road races -- it gets you out the door when you’ve paid your fee and have three weeks to go. You don’t have to compete: walkathons, charity bike tours, or a hike to a destination can provide great motivation.  A friend of mine says that her goal, to complete another section of Vermont's Long Trail, gets her motivated.  On a similar note, another friend said, "Train like an athlete -- use spring to get ready for summer activities."

6.    Join A Fitness Club – this is a good time of year for deals on sign-ups.  There are often special programs aiming at spring – locally, our fitness club has spring training and rowing contests underway.

7.    Keep a Log -- it can be very informal or detailed and in a planner, online, or on stickies.  It’s not a bad idea to track your weight.  It’s fun to go back and check on what you were doing last year this time.

8.    Get a Dog – well, don’t go out and adopt one unless you're ready for another commitment.  If you read this blog much, you know that my four-year-old Vizsla needs lots of exercise.  In fact, she's lobbying for another run right now.

9.    Exercise Daily -- while you definitely want to take days off, make them part of your weekly plan.  For me, thirty minutes nearly every day is better than 90 minutes every three days.

10.    Have fun -- don’t make exercise a drudgery session.  If you’re on a treadmill, use the iPod or watch a DVD.  Vary your pace during a run and race to the next telephone pole once in a while.  Spring is a great time to listen and watch for new birds arriving -- just absorb the smells and sounds of this changing season.

And as a bonus tip -- Why not pick up a new activity or polish an old one?  Always wanted to be a better swimmer?  Sign up for a class right now to be ready for the summer.  Tune up that old bike, get a new helmet, and rediscover the fun of cycling.

What is your top tip for exercising?  What works best for you?  Comment below.

shoe photo by Josiah Mackenzie     Vizsla photo by author

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This morning I could have used a bit of advice from Dr. Norman Vincent Peale’s 1952 classic book as I whined to myself while preparing to run.

“It’s only 20 degrees out -- it will warm up later.”
“Yeah, but the dirt road will then be thawed and muddy.”

“I hate running the Macey Road route -- it’s uphill all the way out.”
“Yeah, but that long gentle return is a great way to finish.”

“But my hamstrings are sore from lifting all that wood yesterday.”
“Stretch them and let’s go -- I’ve heard all this before.”

And out the door I went dressed for the weather and settling into a slow run.  One of the great things about running (as I said in this post) is that it is so mindless -- you can just let your thoughts float.  There is none of paddling’s “plant the paddle, pull yourself up to it, withdraw, feather...” or the “keep that ski flat” mantra of cross country skiing.  You just run.

I get a lot of blog and book ideas during runs but also try to enjoy the surroundings and from time to time, visualize other runs in other places.  This morning, for example, I thought about running on the beach with swirling terns and sea gulls overhead.  But then an other part of my brain kicked in and reported, “You’re on a rutty dirt road and that was a Blue Jay.”

This is from Dr. Dolgoff's excellent blog:

"Your dog can truly be your child's best friend. Give your child the chore of walking the dog and voila- instant movement! Dogs love to run around outside.

Chances are your child will feed off of the dog's enthusiasm. Encourage your child to play outside with the dog as much as possible. Studies show that simply getting your kid outside of the house helps with weight loss. So don't even mention exercise! Just tell your kids that the dog is getting restless and suggest they take him for a walk, play chase, or even play fetch. Once they are in the routine of walking the dog, tell them that their beloved pet is getting too heavy and the vet wants the doggy to run around a bit. All vets encourage exercise so it is not really a lie ;) In any case, suggest that your child jog with the dog for one minute and then walk for five minutes. Each week, increase the jogging by thirty seconds and decrease the walking by thirty seconds. In time, your child and dog will be jogging straight through! Gradually increase the length of the walks.

Not only will your child benefit- but your dog will be in better shape as well!"

photo by lucas vermeer

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