music

“Look Mom, NO HANDS!”

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Can a workout bring back childhood memories, make you reminisce, and be truly enjoyable?  Mine just did!! 

My 4.5 year old daughter learned a week ago how to ride a 2 wheel bike.  And, she does it very well!!!!  Watching her learn how to balance herself on 2 wobbly wheels and then get more steady as her self-confidence grew reminded me of when I learned to ride a bike.  When I realized my Dad had let go of the seat, I got nervous and drove right into the bushes and bumped the house!  I was upset with him then….but now I laugh about what a great memory that is for me.

Fast forward to today.  I am very active and love sports/fitness.  I have had 3 weeks off training for a half marathon and decided it would be good for my body to take some time off of distance running.  My longest run over the past few weeks was probably about 4 miles.  Otherwise, I’ve been doing Les Mills Pump workouts, swimming, P90X workouts, core strengthening, and stretching.  Thanks to my friends posting on their facebook pages and on the health/accountability page I created for friends about their bike riding miles along with my daughter learning to ride…..it motivated me.  I decided it would be good to add biking to my cross training.

I literally just got off my bike tonight.  I rode for 6.28 miles on running paths and country roads.  It was incredibly magnificent and I loved every bit of it (even though I still think running up a hill is easier than biking….YIKES!). I felt the burn in my quads as I rode up some steep hills, enjoyed the breeze in my face from the bike, had a chat with God, remembered what it was like to be a kid and witnessed a beautiful sunset.

I started off listening to my IPod, and then shut it off, realizing I didn’t need it.  When running, I use music to mask my breathing so that mentally I don’t stress myself out.  I also use it to distract me from the mileage.  I was able to recover well with my breathing while on the bike after hills, and therefore didn’t want the music.  Once I turned off the music, I was taken back to my childhood and reminded of the old country road behind my Grandma and Grandpa’s house (where I had my first kiss while on a bike ride!).  I could hear the sound of gravel crackling under the bike tires just like 25 years ago.  I remember, as a kid, trying to pop the tar bubbles on the country roads with my bike tires.  Tonight, the birds were singing, cars randomly cruised by, I smelled someone starting a campfire, and the sky was a magnificent pale blue as the wispy clouds glared pink and purple shades thanks to a gorgeous sunset.  I literally was a kid again……smiling and enjoying a bike ride.  I spooked a deer who was munching in a bean field and it bounced away with its white tail straight up.  Geese flew low and into the pond.  All this that I was able to experience while on a bike, vs. running.  When running, I focus on my technique, breathing, mileage, and am looking forward to the next mile completed.  On the bike, I was having fun.  I was not out for a leisurely ride, it was a good workout, which made it that much better!

The only thing I did as a kid that I was unable to do the past few rides, was to ride without hands.  I used to be able to steer my 10 speed bike (I thought a 10 speed was the BEST thing back then) with my legs and core.  I attempted tonight, but only for a split second, and then laughed out loud as I could not do it.  My children have not attempted that yet, and I don’t think it has crossed their young minds……but soon I’m sure I’ll be hearing, “Look Mom, no hands!”  🙂

Cross training doesn’t have to be a chore.  It can be fun, enjoyable……….and take you right back to being 11 years old again.  During this busy life, you can bet I’ll be out there again…..losing myself in a ride and being a kid.  Exercise is just as good mentally and emotionally as it is physically for your body.

(To learn more about cross-training or some of the workout programs I do, feel free to contact me at Bashford.lisa@yahoo.com or simply go to my website:  www.YourFitness-411.com )

Running: Think you can’t? Think again.

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It’s Father’s Day and I’m reminiscing about Dad when we (my 2 brothers and I) were growing up.  This is also an eventful weekend for me because I completed another running goal.  My goal was to get an official 5K time of under 30 minutes.  Yesterday, I completed a 5K in 29:33.  I was pretty excited, especially since I ran 9 miles the night before and have been battling a super sore left SI joint and tight right piriformis/IT band/hip flexors of right hip for about 10 days. I still got goal! I haven’t run an official 5K race in at least a year…if not longer, so it’s a big deal for me.  In the meantime, I’ve been running half marathons, 10K’s, and even completed a full marathon without proper training last October. (Not recommended!)

Back to my Dad…..when I was a preteen Dad hurt his knee and had some extensive surgery.  Back then, they casted him from hip to toe (unheard of today) and I often went with him to his physical therapy sessions (this is how I got the fever to become one myself!).  Well, Dad was on crutches for a long time and my brothers and I used to tease him by taking his crutches away or putting them across the room.  It was all for a good laugh!  Well, weeks later, Dad was outside with us and on crutches.  My brothers were teasing him saying, “You can’t catch us!” Dad threw down his crutches and to their surprise started chasing them!  They didn’t know he was working hard in PT and didn’t need the crutches anymore.  Oh….it was so funny and a great memory.

I am the face behind the facebook page www.facebook.com/yourfitnessinfo.  I always hear people say, “I can’t run.”      Quite frankly, I’m tired of that excuse.  There IS a small group that cannot physically run, and I am fully aware of this.  However, for the most point….I bet you can run.  I always think, ‘heaven forbid someone takes off with your child….I bet you would run after them!’  Or, ‘what if someone was chasing you with a knife?’  Our bodies were meant to run.  Think about all the activity that the human body had to do hundreds of years ago to catch food and such. The human body is NOT meant to be sedentary.  It developes skin wounds, breaks down, gets stiff, deteriorates, etc.  I personally believe this “I can’t run” is an excuse for numerous reasons.

1.  People think it’s too difficult to run.

2.  People believe they have ‘bad knees’ and cannot run.

3.  People get bored with running.

4.  Laziness

Listen, no one is saying go out and run 2 miles right now.  And, it’s not necessary to run fast.  If you have curiosity about running or wish you could and not sure where to start, here’s a guideline.  Start with intervals.  When you go for your walk, add 30-60 seconds of a light jog every couple of minutes.  It’s that easy!  Eventually, you will find yourself jogging for a few more seconds.  Jogging/running is a great cardio burner, it’s mentally good for you (a psychologist friend told me it has the same benefits as an antidepressant drug), the ‘runner’s high’ is an amazing feeling, and it’s time to yourself.  I strongly encourage you to try it! Here are some pointers so you can start to try jogging and reap the benefits.

*  Ladies…make sure to wear a supportive sports bra.  HIGHLY NECESSARY.

*  Music.  You can get lost in the music and before you know it, you’ve gone another quarter-mile.  I can suggest some good songs if you would like.

*  SHOES – not all shoes are made for running.  Proper footwear will make it easier for joints and muscles.  I always know when I need new shoes…my joints start to ache.

*  There are many apps available to assist you with distance, time, and motivation. RunKeeper &Joggy Coach are some of my favs.

*  Vaseline is my friend. 🙂  It stops friction burns.

*  If running is boring to you…..you need to learn to be alone with your thoughts more often!  It’s a great exercise for working through difficult situations and being able to set your mind straight.  I jog a lot of mileage and often times find clarity through thinking/praying while running.

*  Jogging can lubricate joints.  Proper exercises (strengthening and flexibility) can help knee and hip joints to be able to run.  Don’t fool yourself into thinking that just because you have arthritis or a previous injury/surgery you shouldn’t be running.  It is more difficult on the joints, but if you are kind to your joints and take care of them, it won’t be a problem.  This is another reason why cross training is so important for joints!

* Technique….often times people have poor technique which causes pain and tightness.  Have someone access your technique.

*  Intervals…..this is how you start!  I have some programs that I recommend, so contact me for more information.

Once again…there are a few people who should not be running.  But, too many people are using excuses not to run and it’s frustrating.  I’m not a fast runner and I’m not out to beat anyone. I’m not a professional runner.  I’m just a Mom, who wants to stay fit, LOVES accomplishing fitness goals and doing what people say I cannot, enjoys the alone time that running provides for me, gets super excited to feel a runner’s high (feeling post run), and likes toned legs.  I’m also a therapist, fitness coach, and studying to get certified in sports nutrition. I’ve learned a lot simply by running often and finding what works and what does not.  I have a lot of friends who are runners and I ask a lot of question.

 I love receiving texts, emails, and facebook posts from people who didn’t think they could run…..and are now doing it!!!  That’s the best feeling as a coach!  Do I always love to run?  NOPE.  Do I dread it some days?  YEP.  But, once I get started, it’s worth every step.  Do what you cannot think you can.  Try it….if you don’t like it, THEN you can say it’s not for you.  Otherwise…don’t give yourself an excuse NOT to try something and be active !

Be like Dad….surprise yourself and others with your running ability!