One of most frustrating things about getting sick is the interruption in your exercise routine. If fitness was part of your New Year’s resolution, you have established a regular routine and habit of movement. We notice the weather is starting to turn as cherry blossoms bloom and temperatures begin to raise, which only increases our desire to take our workout out of the gym.
And then –

Your child, your co-worker, that random stranger gifts you the sniffles.

Should you can your workout if you are sick? Well, It depends on your overall symptoms.

Light Coughing and/or sneezing: Give it a try. If your energy is fine and you can breathe, you can exercise. You may want to have a lighter workout, though. If your coughing is deep within the chest and more of a consistent “hacking” nature then stay at home.

Body Aches and/or Deep Fatigue: Skip it. If you are approaching your workout sore and exhausted, it isn’t going to get better. Your form will be off and you will not only increase your risk of injury, but may prolong your illness.

Fever and/or chills: Skip it. Stay at home, have some soup, rest!!! This holds true even if green light symptoms are also present.

Runny Nose and/or Congestion: While this can be quite an annoyance, it doesn’t have to stop you from exercising if you feel up to it.

Nausea, upset stomach: Lay down, drink some ginger tea and call it a day. The jostling nature of physical activity is not likely to help you help you out!

Sore Throat: Go for it! If no fever is present, the increased body temperature of exercising may eradicate whatever nasty bug is settling in your throat.

As a general rule of thumb – if symptoms are present above the neck, feel free to exercise. If they are manifesting below the neck, its best to stay home. If you decide to work out, plan on exercising half your usual time, going
half-speed on the treadmill or stationary bike, and backing off on the
weights until you regain your health. If you’ve been out sick and are feeling better, keep it light and easy until your energy and stamina return fully.

Whenever you are ill make sure your immune system is supported with LOTS OF WATER. If your throat is tender, you may find hot beverages particularly comforting. Take a thermos to the gym with warm water and lemon juice. Also, remember to take those extra precautions to prevent your illness from spreading – wipe down handles and equipment, wash your hands often, and cough into your elbow or armpit to prevent germs from spreading.

I just ran faster than I ever have before. I set a personal record at the Vegas Half marathon that opened up my mind to realities I had never considered possible for myself. It is not the first time my body has surprised me in this way. (and I hope it isn’t the last!) When I crossed the finish line, I felt like an athlete again. I have few moments where I own that title. And my lack of ownership over my accomplishments has led me to explore — What does it mean to be an athlete?

Miriam Webster says an athlete is “a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina’.The same source refers to skill as “a : the ability to use one’s knowledge effectively and readily in execution or performance” or b : “dexterity or coordination especially in the execution of learned physical tasks”

So it seems to me that an athlete would be one who uses what has been physically and intellectually learned to do the best they could do at any given time (performance or execution).

I bring this to attention because we all have different definitions of what an athlete is. I have found the definition depends on one’s frame of reference. I’ve met a woman who has run 12 marathons and does NOT consider herself a runner. I’ve met people who consider getting their shoes on and getting out the door for 2 miles qualification as a runner. I was running distances of 12-15 miles before I considered myself a runner! It took over 2 years of running before I felt I “fit” the part. “Real” runners were faster than I, more experienced, “looked” a certain way and had a certain ease about them I lacked. When I unexpectedly qualified for Boston, I felt I had suddenly fallen into the realm of a “good runner”. It wasn’t until I started coaching cycling classes and running at the same time that I “felt” like I was an athlete. Mind you, I came to find that friends and peers considered me an athlete long ago – I coached runners, had a decade of running and 6 marathons under my belt by this point – but I considered myself an average runner at best, despite years of experience and a good working knowledge of my body and the sport. Athletes are “good”, right? Athletes achieve Boston qualifications, make Olympic teams and are sponsored by companies or run longer or more than I have. Athletes are Kenyan!

In reality, my idea of “athlete” was an elusive category of exercisers whose qualifications changed based upon whatever I considered to be impressive (that happened to also be out of my reach).

And here I am now, preparing for the Boston marathon, tinkering with my own training and surprising myself with what my body is achieving. I have accomplished more in the last 2 years than I had ever considered for myself. I feel like an athlete. Not just a woman with athletic tendencies, but an athlete. I’m likely a good 7 years behind in recognizing my accomplishments and giving myself due credit, but I am finally owning it and giving myself that pat on the back. I’ve also been pondering this definition for myself and re-framing what it really means for me, as I have considered other women with slower paces and less experience to be athletes and yet denied myself this title.

When we look at our past and where we are going, I think a truer definition stems from not only what we are currently doing, but the place we have come from. The mental challenge for some of us to get out and get our shoes on qualifies us as an athlete. We overcome obstacles with child care, work schedules, PMS, mental roadblocks, injuries, yet we come back again and again. This kind of stamina is true athletics. Never giving up. Getting back up again and again and giving it another shot. It is giving it your best in any given moment. Some athletes are born with tendencies which make effortless what most would consider grueling. Other athletes are made – with hours of sweat, grit, determination and dedication to themselves and their sport. These athletes may never experience a Boston qualification or complete an Ironman or run a half marathon, but persistence and dedication to what they love places them a class apart from most of the population. They have trained. They have used their knowledge and experience to perform at the best of their abilities. They are, by my definition, athletes.

What does it mean for you to be an athlete? Do you consider yourself one? At what point did you find yourself to be an athlete?

Here in San Diego, the heat just got kicked up a notch.

What I mean is, we went from baking to broiling.

Thermometer wise — it’s only in the high 80′s and 90′s. But here in the desert, in an area with no trees, in a city constructed of cement, no amount of ocean breeze is cool enough.

Being predominantly Pitta dosha (Check out your Ayurvedic body type here) the heat has aggravated my already fiery nature. I find myself cranky, listless, tired, very easy to overheat, and have been having difficulty completing my morning runs, even if I am up before the sun is.

So I’ve gotten a little creative, had to reach out a bit further and stretch a bit more to keep my body in balance so I can do what I love to do.

Here are some tips I have used (and one – at the bottom – I am trying this afternoon) to stay cool in the hottest days of summer. Give ‘em a try and let me know if they make a difference. Also — please share your personal favorites!

• Eat cooling foods: cucumbers, watermelon, cantaloupe, berries, lettuces all come into season during the hottest days for a reason! These juicy, cooling vegetables can help keep us chilled and smiling even on the hottest of days. There is a reason they say, “as cool as a cucumber”! Pair these treats with cooling herbs such as mint, dill, cardamom and avoid heating, stimulating foods such as coffee, cinnamon, and red meats.
• Carry ice on you! I put my water bladder in the freezer with about 1 cup of water and let it freeze before using. This gives me a long-lasting ice block to carry with me and keeps the water that I place inside very cool and refreshing.
• Sleep with the fans on and an ice pack at your belly. I’ve taken to sleeping with a ice pack at night on the hottest days so I can sleep through the night. This gives me enough energy and motivation in the morning to get my run in before the sun comes up and it gets too hot.
• Mix it up! Hit the gym and try the group exercise classes or lift some weights instead of being outside. If the season is short and you want to make the most of it, take the bike out for your cardiovascular activity instead of running or walking. The self-generated breeze can prevent overheating.
• Keep the Coolness Close to You. I missed my morning run and it is already in the 90′s. So I am going to slather on the sunscreen, ice my water bladder and while I am at it, I’m going to freeze my sports bra. We’ll see how this one goes! Experiment results are going to be posted in the comments section.

Keep cool out there!

I’ve recently been uncomfortable.

Big-time uncomfortable.

Digging heels in, I don’t-wanna, stop the presses and let-me-go-back-to-bed uncomfortable. It was a surprise, honestly. I thought I was more prepared.

Earlier this year I decided I wanted to teach Spin classes. It would give me some variety and expose me to a large gym that could have other benefits down the line. I would get to know more people in my neighborhood while getting in shape in a new and different way. I love the endorphins that cycling to music gives me (more reliable than runner’s high).  So I took a certification class and did an excellent job auditioning for the position. So well, in fact, that I was offered my own class (usually beginners get to sub for awhile). It may have been that I was passable and no one else wanted to teach at 5:30am, or that I was awesome. Who knows? Regardless, and despite the fact that I had no previous experience in front of large exercise classes, I was granted my own class. And after the hiring paperwork was said and done, I was offered a second class each week. GREAT! My wish was granted. I was set to teach Spin.

But let me tell you – this is HARD. Ask me to run 18 miles or lecture about healthy fats to 150 people and it would be easier. For me — a very left-brained, uncoordinated person — timing music to cues to public performance and finagling with a mic and my own sweat while smiling AND talking proved to make me extremely nervous. I had nightmares when I wasn’t experiencing insomnia, and would wake up with dread the mornings I was teaching.

But I knew that 12-20 people would be there waiting and the area manager found me skilled enough to lead them. I had to trust her instinct over my own at this point, because the level of unfamiliarity was rather blindsiding.  So I walk in, pretend I’ve done this before and give it a go.
I finished my fourth class last week, and I have learned a lot – about myself as a morning performer, about sweaty microphones and creating mixes, about what people are like at 5:30am and about my own inner demons.

I haven’t wanted to quit something in a long time. I had moments the last two weeks where I wanted to quit this crazy thing I had gotten myself into.

I share this with you because inevitably at some point we all face such discomfort. Something feels too hard and we’d rather say yes to the cheesecake or no to the workout. We think we are crazy because we signed up for a triathlon and we don’t know how to swim. We wonder why we are thrashing about in the water, setting our alarm for 4am to teach strangers, having the tough conversation or walking out of the bakery when it seems that everyone else in the world doesn’t have to.

What I want to highlight though is what happens when we embrace the difficulty.

There is great reward in facing down adversity. It is a time ripe with opportunities to see how we work under pressure. What sorts of weird stories do our brains tell us? Do we want these stories to be the basis of our reality (“I’ll always be fat”, “I exercised for an hour so I deserve a high-calorie treat”, “I’m any variety of insulting adjectives”,”I already have heart disease so I might as well…” )or do we want to create a new one? (“I can totally do this”, “I’ll show them”, “I’ve come so far!”, “My body can heal”, “I deserve to be happy!”)

When I get into an emotional pickle and I find myself challenged beyond my level of confidence, I reach out for support. I call my friends who have unwavering belief in me, I write to my business coach, I journal about it and I brainstorm solutions as I question my fear. Regardless of the outcome, I always learn more. Sometimes I learn what I must never do again. Other times I learn that I am a lot stronger and more creative than I often perceive myself to be.

Each time we face adversity and come out the other side, we build up our inner strength and tenacity. We learn that we can ask for help and receive it and that we are often better supported and stronger than we allow ourselves to realize. Over time, this breaks down self-imposed barriers that keep us locked to unhealthy eating and a sedentary life when we yearn for movement and the energy that healthy living can bring.

When you feel resistance rise up in yourself – in your relationships, in your work, in your commitment to a goal you are striving for – begin to ask questions. Look at the internal records playing and see if it isn’t time to change the album. Ask yourself — What do I most need to hear right now? Then give yourself that emotional nourishment. My guess is you may find  the challenge becomes less overwhelming and you feel more proud, stronger, and have more love and respect for yourself as a result. And the happier you are, the healthier you are, hands down.

What is one way you face down adversity? When your inner demons start chattering, what do you say or do to change the dialogue?

The pinnacle of the average distance runner’s acheivement is the Boston marathon. Boston has the longest consecutively running marathon in history (this is its 113th year). To enter, you must qualify by running a marathon at a certain speed within the previous year.

I *never* thought I’d qualify for Boston. Seriously. the best I had hoped for was to stay injury-free and not slow with age so that I could make it after I turned 45.  I’ve always been a pretty conservative runner because I value the peace and accomplishment I get from running too much to have my body give out on me and force me into retirement. I’m much rather get sick of running and choose something else (like Roller Derby!) than have my body give out while my mind still thrived on it.

Lo and behold, last May an incredible thing happened. The weather was right, the course was right, the support I received was more than I had ever had before. I raced a marathon like I had never raced it. I was like a cheetah, fast and strong and having the time of my life (a cheetah on catnip, maybe?). I ran 45 seconds per mile faster than I had previously raced in 3 marathons, suddenly acquiring not only a wicked Personal Record (or PR in runner’s lingo) but the Golden Ticket to Boston.

15 years early, at that!

I could hardly believe this gift! I had not even realized it until I was on my way home. In my head I confused the qualifying time and thought I had been 4 minutes shy of it. This is the power of disbelief!

So I have been waiting for Boston. I have trained and run since then, and here I am 5 weeks shy of flying to the east coast to run in the runner’s event.

…And I am canceling my flight.

Significantly cutting back on my training

…and waiting until next year.

This is NOT an easy decision to make. I will not candy-coat it by telling you it is anything less than absolutely (insert favorite expletive ending in -ly here).

It is not injury that has me sidelined. It is not a lack of accommodations, or schedule conflicts. It is the messages my body is telling me. The messages I know not to ignore, because I see how ignoring the signals affects other runners I have run with over the years.

While I am not injured, my body is exhibiting signs of not being ready. I’m taking too long to recover from training runs, my stamina is lessened and other life stressors have depleted extra reserves necessary for accumulating those miles properly. I sense that, if I chose to keep going and push through the fatigue for the Idea(l) in my head, I could very well end up injured. My body is telling me that 19 miles is a bit too much right now.

In hindsight, Boston would be my third marathon in 12 months. That is something I have never done before, and I may not have the solid base miles under me yet to hold that kind of load. These last two marathons came after an 18 month reprieve from marathons and I came back really strong. But that strength and power and excitement I experienced in Eugene last May is not with me.

So I have to say no. In good conscience, it is my only choice.

You are welcome to send flowers.

The reason I choose to share this with you is because sometimes the right thing is the thing that does not feel good in the moment.  It’s kind of like being a good parent. Discipline is sometimes a situation in which parent and child both feel crummy, but it is important for reasons not immediately experienced.

This situation is applicable to most aspects of health and well-being.  Limiting the Starbucks drive-through may feel like deprivation, but the reward in seen later the wallet and waistline. Holding off on fast-food in general is less convenient and may result in some whining from the backseat, but the rewards in health care savings, energy, and lifelong vitality far outweigh any Supervalue meal.

More commonly, having the awareness to recognize when to stop eating, when to go to the gym anyway, when to say ‘no’ and when to take a risk allow us to live our lives with fewer regrets, greater satisfaction, and feeling of control and competence even though it can be a pain in the butt and a lot of hard work to hone that skill.

But I’d rather postpone Boston for a year than mark it as the end of my running career, or come back and humbly confess to my running group that I did not stop when I should have. (yes – there is some pride at stake, here!)

How about you?

What has internal discipline given you? Did you ever ignore the messages and what was the outcome? Have you cultivated that awareness or does it still like a mystery?

This weekend I began coaching a group with Club 26.2 for the AFC Half marathon and as I was introducing myself I realized (and shared) that I have been running for a decade now.

That’s amazing!
I can hardly believe it’s been 10 years of solid, consistent running! (Wait — is this a sign I’m getting old?)

Reflecting on the ways running has enhanced my life, I’m offering 10 lessons I have learned in the last 10 years that i may not have learned if I hadn’t been lacing up my shoes and hitting the roads…

10) How You Train is No Indication of How You Will Race: You can train perfectly and have a terrible race due to circumstances beyond your control. Likewise, you can feel totally unprepared for a race and set a personal best. Life is full of surprises – don’t set your expectations in stone!

9) Cold isn’t Always a Bad Thing: I grew up in Alaska and have vehemently hated cold weather. That said, running in the cool weather is much more pleasant than the heat of late summer. And believe it or not, ice baths are AWESOME. Take home lesson – everything has its place and time, be open to changing your mind sometimes.
Rest is Essential: I first learned this on the trail, then began to apply it in other areas of my life. Rest is mandatory, period. When you train too hard and neglect rest, all sorts of things happen. You become injured, grouchy, your immune system fails. When you refuse to rest in life (vacation, reasonable work hours, allowing time to play) you become grouchy, get carpal tunnel, and your immune system fails! A lot of us wait for forced rest in both personal and athletic lives – be it stress fractures,  a nasty virus we cannot ignore, or a full-blown heart attack. By choosing rest, we not only avoid unnecessary trauma, we also strategically prepare ourselves to rebuild and come back stronger. This is the purpose of tapering miles before a marathon. In other areas rest is essential to maintain our quality of life. I find when I take breaks with the seasons and allow myself vacations and weekends off I come back mentally prepared, inspired, and have better interactions all around.

7.) Don’t skimp on quality: When you cut corners on shoes and fuel, your training suffers. When your training suffers, you suffer. Take Home Message – be willing to give yourself quality to get the most out of what you love. The payback is well worth it.

6.) Body Knows Best – it holds all the answers and is never wrong. Running has gotten me in tune with the fine messages and signals my body sends me. Having this kind of relationship is precious. A healthy relationship between body and mind is as rewarding as a healthy relationship between horse and rider. Just as the rider can read the horse’s non-verbal cues, everyone can learn the clear, unique messages sent by the body. Miles and hours of solo time with my body and holding an inquisitive, curious approach to such signals has allowed me to discover how to best care for myself and stay active without significant injury, consistently improving race quality for a full decade.

5.) Little Changes Matter: A 100-calorie pack of gel can get you to the finish line; double-knotting your shoes saves a lot of hassle; the difference between 30 minutes and 50 minutes is huge when it comes to refueling and a tiny patch of moleskin can save 3 days of pain. Little adjustments can yield big results. This has become both how I live my life and guide my clients.

4.) Support Supercharges Everything: For my first race, my former husband was at the finish line. We had fought all weekend and he was there because he was expected to be. Despite 11 months of training and a nearly perfect regimen, that was the hardest race and recovery I have ever experienced in my life (the course was also a factor). For my last two marathons, I had friends cheering me along the course; they were there because they WANTED to be and were really excited for me. I have spent much of my running career flying solo when it comes to support, and have found that the camaraderie from training with a group and the support of friends and loved ones along the course and finish line to be energizing and inspiring in a way that no amount of training or fueling can offer. Likewise, having support from family, friends, or a group of similar people in all aspects of life allows us so much more endurance and tenacity than trying to do it all alone.  Having a cheer team doesn’t make you weak; it keeps you strong and allows you to bounce back from everything quicker and easier.

3.) Hills Make You Stronger: Part of the reason that first marathon was such a disaster was that I did no hill training. Hillwork (adversity, swimming upstream, going against the grain) strengthens you, makes you a better runner, and pushes your mental stamina as well. When you get to the top of the mountain or hill, you have a huge sense of accomplishment and a boost of awesome brain chemicals dopamine and endorphins, contributing to a sense of reward and that sought-after “runner’s high”. In life, this has translates to meeting adversity head-on and moving through challenges; running has made me more fearless and confident in life.

2.) Appreciate Your Body: Running has really reinforced how amazing the human body is. And the great news is that we each get one! Despite any perceived imperfections, it is strong, allows me to do so many wonderful things and has amazing powers of regeneration. It works for me to get back into balance when I make mistakes and always does its best to accommodate my (sometimes absurd) demands. My body is undeniably an amazing vehicle that transports me through this life and is deserving of the utmost care and consideration.

1.) Attitude is everything: How you talk to yourself will make or break your training and racing. Ultimately you are the only cheerleader that is with you every single, sweaty mile. For the hours you devote to exercise it is far more supportive to have positive, uplifting encouragement than a barking drill sergeant on your back.  As soon as my thoughts turn negative (“this is hard…I’m so out of shape…I should be faster/stronger”) my body starts to feel MORE weary and heavy; I’m more likely to throw in the towel early or call it quits all together! However, just some simple encouragement (“Look how far you have already gone! 1 mile left; anyone can run a mile!…You are staying strong and doing well! Almost there….”)This applies not only to training, but to all aspects of living joyfully.

For those of you who run – what has running taught you? What lessons have you gained in exercise that you have found apply in other areas as well?

What is it that motivates you to keep going when you get discouraged?

According to the most recent statistics offered by the American Heart Association, one in three American adults has one or more types of cardiovascular disease (high blood pressure, angina, heart attack history, heart failure and/or stroke). Over half of these individuals are under the age of 60. I personally find this information shocking and saddening. Heart disease is largely a disease of lifestyle choice – choices we make on a day-to-day basis culminating over time. The amount of suffering for these individuals and those who care about them cannot be measured.
Our culture has not been set up to combat this disease effectively. Reliance upon extreme measures (surgery and drugs) remain the norm and well-supported by current health plans, while remedies which have been proven to be the most effective (diet and exercise changes) remain ignored and unsupported in our culture.
There has been a call to step forward and begin to take responsibility as a nation on many levels. Our health is just one area which can make a profound difference and have a powerful ripple effect nation-wide – stemming from our personal sphere of family, friends and co-workers to a more national level of insurance policies, health care plans, and the medical and food industries.
Begin with small, powerful changes to improve your heart health. The shift that can happen for you is beyond transformational. It requires simple steps, but it can be difficult to implement within the context of one’s day-to-day life. This is where support from your health providers, family members, a personal trainer and various communities becomes essential. As a friend of mine says, “Together, we can do better.”

* Move a little bit every day: Park further away, take an after dinner stroll for 10 minutes, take the stairs instead of the elevator, enlist the help of a personal trainer. 30 minutes a day or more. It doesn’t have to be all at once! Alternatively,use a pedometer to keep track of how many steps you take in a day – aim for 10,000!
* Eat Your Greens! Green foods are powerful heart protectors. They are full of fiber, antioxidants and are low in calories, helping to shed excess weight. I have written much about greens and different ways to get them into one’s daily diet. A great book to get started is Greens, Glorious Greens.
* Reduce Meat Consumption: The frequency of and quality of our animal food consumption
in this country is not supportive for the health for our bodies or the planet. If you have cardiovascular disease, multiple sources of research point to the benefit or reducing or eliminating consumption of beef, pork, and even chicken from your diet. Traditional cultures with low risk of disease use animal foods as a condiment and flavoring rather than a main course. Try eating a vegetarian diet 50% of the time (or more) and reserving meat for special occasions. There are many ways to do this that can be satisfying, nutritionally-sound, and even decadent! The work of T. Colin Campbell, Dean Ornish, and John McDougall may be of interest to you. Also, take a vegetarian cooking class to learn more about how lovely meat-free eating can be!

* Stop Smoking: If you are a smoker, quitting smoking alone will radically improve your health. Do what you can to kick butt, being certain to implement stress-reduction techniques to help you stay smoke-free for the rest of your life.

* Bring in Reinforcements for Those Weak Spots: I have found in my practice that many people are diligent about one aspect of their health, but struggle with others. The expert dieter has a heck of a time sticking to an exercise regimen and the exercise enthusiasts struggle to keep their food streamlined. Regardless of your preference, it’s likely that you struggle with work-life balance, emotional nourishment, and adequate restoration. All these factors play into restoring your heart health. Reach out to those around you for support. If you need additional help, hiring a health professional or personal trainer to facilitate this transition can be a richly rewarding and empowering experience.

If you have the winter workout blahs or have hit a weight loss plateau, there are some easy, effortless ways to boost your fat loss and calorie burn WITHOUT spending more time in the gym.

1) Add in some plyometics:
Plyometrics is a fun, easy way to get your heart pumping. These moves (jumping, skipping, leaping) bring out the kid in us, boost happy brain chemicals, and can double your calorie burn in a single workout. Aside from the direct increase in calorie-burn from added intensity, they foster use of different muscle fibers and “shock” the body into using more energy to create stronger muscles overall. This can allow you to exercise at a greater intensity and for longer periods of time much quicker. Caution to those with knee problems — utilize plyometrics only underthe supervision of a trained professional.
Some ideas:

During your daily walk, add 30 high-knee marching movements every 15 minutes. If running, skip for 30 seconds each mile or two.

Turn and move into a side squat slowly – 5-10 on each side – followed by 10 squat jumps (slight squat down, then use your arms to propel you as you jump forward) mid-workout.

Repeat as desired for even greater results.

2.) Add hills on your route: “Hills give you strength”, my running coach used to say. He is absolutely right! Driving your body uphill against gravity is a great way to boost your calorie-burn and sculpt your rear. It can be an easy way to add speed to your overall pace by building greater strength and resiliency and power to your legs. Add hills to 10-20% of your workout outside or bump the treadmill incline up 2% for 5-10 minutes of your workout. Continue to up the incline 1% per week to keep your body guessing.

3.) Add in some intervals: Interval training is simply doing short bursts of higher intensity in your workout. Fartleks are a great way to do this if you are a runner (race you to the stop sign!) ; if you walk as your primary form of cardiovascular exercise, you can toss ten 1-minute speed-walking sessions into a 30 minute brisk walk to double your calorie burn. This is also a fantastic way to break into jogging or running from walking. Jeff Galloway revolutionized injury-free running by making this method of walk-running popular.

These are just three, easy and funw ays to add variety and results to your existing fitness routine. If you have any existing or chronic injury, you will want to speak with a knowledgable fitness professional about the best way to boost your workouts for maximum results. As with any new endeavor, add the change in slowly (for one or two workouts a week) building up slowly to allow the body to adapt and prevent injuries.

Have any readers benefited from these methods? I know hill training was key to my Boston marathon qualifying time last May. How have some of these methods benefited you?

I used to do all of my fitness solo. This was in part to not knowing anyone who was interested in exercise and being concerned about others being too fit or too unfit to be a suitable partner while I was training. Regular group exercise (outside a gym environment) did not come to me until I joined Always Running in college. Having a group of people expecting my presence made a radical difference in my consistency, progress, and motivation. I formed lasting friendships, shared resources and experiences, and had great adventures on the trails with others. I could get all geeky about anatomy, sweat, exercise, and running shoes and they would respond with equal enthusiasm. Sharing successes and setbacks were received with understanding and encouragement. My family doesn’t quite get what it means to qualify for Boston, but my running buddies sure do!

Exercising with others is a powerful way to develop a foundation of support for your fitness goals. Long after your trainer has switched gyms or retired, your exercise buddy will be there to share in your sweat, boost you up after defeat, and cheer you to the finish line.

The internet has allowed for an abundance of options in finding others with similar goals, exercise availability, and support. You can connect locally and find someone to drag you out of bed (or drag out of bed) for a morning hike every Saturday or connect virtually with someone across the country who has the same desire to lower his cholesterol by 50 points or complete a race a month for the next year. Below are some great resources to check out.

• Meet-up.com: Meet-up is a great source for free activities of all kinds – hiking, cycling, triathlete training, tennis, running, and more! Search for your desired activity and attend an outing in your area.

• SparkPeople: Spark People has launched regional groups for fitness and nutrition goal support. It is also a great resource for nutrition and exercise information and a place to keep track of your personal goals.

• Post a request on your gym bulletin board for someone to lift weights or do cardio with.  If you enjoy each other’s company, outdoor off-site activities can be arranged.

• Exercisefriends.com: a site specifically for finding an exercise partner by age, activity, and location.

• Speak up in your existing class or group – always see the same people in your Yoga  or Spin class? Strike up a conversation and make a friendship. People are often very excited to connect with others.

• Visit your local running store or athletic store and ask about group activities. Road Runner Sports and other local running shoe stores often host running groups. Title Nine has been known to hold rowing groups, hiking groups, and women’s soccer groups. Lululemon often holds yoga in the store during off hours. Visit your local fitness store and inquire about what is available, or be pro-active and start one with their support!

Have you utilized any of the above resources or found any others which have worked well for you? Comment below on where you have gone for extra support and how it has helped you out!

Seasonal Affective Disorder is a very real and common winter phenomenon. Historically we have called it the “winter blues” or “cabin fever”. I don’t doubt that its root is multi-faceted, but lack of sunlight hours in the winter months have a very strong and real impact on our physiology. The farther north one lives, the more likely one is to drive to work or school in the dark, sit in a building all day with artificially lighting, then drive back home afterward in the dark.

I grew up in Alaska and experienced severe seasonal affective disorder from the ages of 14 until I moved away at 22. It is what prompted me to get involved in exercise, as I found it to offer some relief from very debilitating depression. There were months where I saw very little sunlight because it was too cold to be outside or I would be sitting in windowless classrooms all day. Those of you who know me personally know I have a fairly strong response to cold, wintery behavior. This is partially in response to associating winter with such extreme emotional dispondency. At the time, all that was offered as a remedy was the new and exciting SSRI’s that Eli Lilly and other companies were manufacturing. I tried most of them at least once with varying degrees of relief.

Initially, I would like to say that a decrease in energy and vigor in the winter is PERFECTLY NORMAL. The world around us – plants and non-migratory animals – go into a state of dormancy or hibernation. Like them, we are an integral part of this cycle. Winter is a time of rest and reflection so that we have the reserves required for spring and summer’s bustle of activity. In our disconnection from nature’s cycles we have asked our body to continue with high productivity month after month and year after year. Our rest comes in the form of sick days and paid vacations. It is out of rhythm with the greater cycle we live in. This is, I believe, part of the reason why this condition has become so debilitating.

Older and wiser, I have found some non-pharmaceutical solutions to the winter blues. I am eternally grateful for exercise, the accidental discovery that gave me something to work with during my adolescence and has since become an integral part of my life and career. I have also found other tools over the years which are of benefit:

• Light Therapy: Sunlight affects our mood and energy by encouraging production of both melatonin and serotonin through messages sent from the retina to the brain. “Light boxes” simulate the intensity of sunlight on a clear spring day and can help normalize mood and sleep. I’ve also had clients benefit from dawn simulators to help with waking up in the morning.
• Taking Breaks during daylight hours: If you work in an environment which has little access to natural light, be sure to get out for 10-20 minutes a day while the sun is still up. It’s amazing how much of a boost a brisk walk can do mid-day.
• Get thee to thy local gym! If the weather is too crummy to be outside, get into the gym for three hours a week. The time you take for this will be returned in increased productivity, better moods, and decreased illness. Lift weights, watch the news while taking a brisk walk on the treadmill — just get your heart pumping and your blood moving. Hire a quality trainer or get an exercise buddy f you have trouble making it to the gym.
• Omega-3′s: A natural part of many diets in far-northern countries are high-doses of omega-3 fats from marine life. Cultural and laboratory studies demonstrate marked improvement from or absence of depressive symptoms when high doses of omega 3 fatty acids are consumed regularly. Dosage is dependent on symptoms; speak to a health professional knowledgable in nutrition and brain health for your specific needs.
• Expect Less of Yourself: This has been my most recent change and has really made a difference. Knowing that I am not seperate from the natural world around me has given me permission to slow down a bit from November through February. I do not expect as much from myself, I do not push myself and I allow more time for soothing, restorative activities: cooking, reading, having tea with loved ones, sleeping in a little more on weekends, and so on. Traditionally a Type A, this shift has taken some time to embrace but now that I have there is a lot less struggle in the winter months. Keep your appointment book a little more open for downtime, get a massage, sit in a cafe with a friend you’ve been dying to catch up with and re-connect.
• Monitor Yourself: Keep tabs on how you are doing. If you are trying to wean off of medication, make sure you have professional support to ensure a smooth transition. If you find that coming off of medication is not an option, the above suggestions can still be of benefit to you. Implement them as a means of not just surviving SAD, but moving through the season gracefully and pleasantly. You are not alone; upwards of 10% of northern populations experience symptoms.

I’d love to hear about your own persoanl experience with the winter blues and how you have worked with this season to stay happy, whole and healthy. Your ideas and suggestions may offer relief to someone struggling. Please comment below and share your experiences.

More Information:

Exercise and Depression
Omega-3-for-depression
http://www.mcmanweb.com/omega3.html
Light Therapy Products and SAD Information