Five reasons why you should workout with a personal trainer

Ever thought about getting a personal trainer? Sure, I’m biased. But I think working with a trainer is a great way to jump start your workouts, reignite tired routines or bump up the intensity. Not convinced? Here’s my top five reasons to consider working with a professional.

1. Physical Assessment. No matter how fit you are or what your goals may be, everyone (no, really, EVERYONE) can benefit from getting a physical assessment. The more measurable information you have about your body and its fitness ability, the easier it is to design a program to lead you toward a goal AND to quantify success along the way. There’s so much more than just stepping on a scale.
2. New Ideas. I’ve been exercising/training for 30 years and have been a certified personal trainer for 15 and I’m still learning new things all the time. I love picking up new exercises from magazines, television, and online, but there’s nothing like meeting other trainers and asking them what their three favorite exercises are for themselves and for their clients. Even if you’re a regular exerciser, booking a session with a trainer who’s creative and innovative could be just the thing to spice up your workouts.
3. Form and safety check. It’s a familiar complaint. I hear from people all the time who say they’re exercising regularly, but either aren’t getting the results they want or  they’re frequently battling injuries. Fortunately, this is usually easily fixed by analyzing their workouts to make sure that they’re doing the right exercises with the correct form. Just because you are spending 2 hours at the gym DOESN’T mean you’re doing a great workout. A few training sessions are usually more than enough for a trainer to ensure that you’re working out safely and efficiently
4. Intensity. Another reason that a person might not be seeing the results they want?  They’re working out at the wrong Intensity. When someone asks me what they need to do to get over a plateau, I immediately look at the intensity of their workouts. The human body only changes for the better when it’s forced to. No matter how frequently or how long you work out, if the intensity isn’t high enough to truly challenge your body, you’ll never see increases in strength, endurance, or overall fitness. Booking a session with a trainer can show you just how lacking your workouts have been. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve heard a client or class participant say “I don’t work out that hard on my own,” which is exactly why we trainers exist.
5. New Energy and a Fresh Perspective. I’m sure that there are at least a few people who have read through this post so far and are thinking – I’m already in great shape, I have a whole library of workouts, and I’m seeing the results I want. Great! But! Even if this is the case, EVERYONE can benefit from an injection of new energy or an outside look at their training routine. Personal trainers don’t just work with people who need multiple sessions a week, I’ve had numerous clients over the years who I only met with a few times a year.  Whether it’s trying new things or just upping the intensity, sometimes one session is all it takes.

Whether it’s conducting a fitness assessment, answering questions, or just pushing you through an hour of intense exercise, there are so many things a personal trainer can do to help you reach your fitness goals. All you need to do is ask. (And remember: fitness consultations at Second City Fitness are free. Just click here for more information.)

The Ashley Project (Part 2)

Editor’s Note: Ashley, a Second City Fitness client, began training with Jeff in late February and is blogging about her experiences.  Last weekend, she snagged a huge PR in the Wisconsin Half Marathon and smashed a long-time goal. Yesterday, Jeff wrote about how “The Ashley Project” is progressing and talked about the race, which he ran along side her.  Today it’s her turn.

It’s been almost a week since I ran the Wisconsin Half Marathon, and I’m pretty sure there’s still a smile on my face. After 10 weeks of training with Second City Fitness, I finished my sixth half marathon in 2:57:50 – a personal best, even with a bathroom stop! I managed to cut 20:20 off my half marathon time from mid-February and snagged a PR by 14:37. Most importantly to me, I finally managed to break the elusive 3:00 barrier.

Looking back on the race, the time I cut off is impressive. But there’s so much more than those by-the-numbers accomplishments.  I think about how nervous I was at the start of training and how confident I felt when we lined up in the corral. (Confession: there was a hefty dose of race-week hysterics. Just ask anyone within earshot of me in those last seven days.) I’m blown away by how easy the bulk of the race felt and how strong and steady I was along the course – until those last two godforsaken miles. An hour after the finish, when I limped to the car, I realized that I probably could have done even better.

The race itself was gorgeous. We ran by huge, old mansions in Kenosha, through part of the city’s downtown and then back north, along the water. But a lot of the run itself is hazy. As a run-walker, I’d planned on doing 5/1 intervals (five minutes of running, 1 minute of walking) for the whole course, thinking I’d throw in a few 4/2s every so often if I got tired or needed a break. (At this point, because of my pacing commitments with Chicago Endurance Sports, all my long runs had been at 4/2s, so I’d never run further than four miles with the 5/1 intervals.) Instead of being tired, I felt almost invigorated. During the first 7 or 8 miles, I’d hear the Garmin beep an alert to change to a walk and I’d be frustrated and think: “Man, already? I don’t want to stop. I’m in the groove.”

I asked Jeff, who usually runs a far, far, FAR faster pace, to keep me entertained on the course so I wouldn’t think about how tired I was. It’s a strategy I use when I’m pacing runners and it also helps the time fly by. This time, though, I knew I’d be the one needing the distraction. And boy, did he deliver. Not only was I occupied and laughing, but it helped the miles fly by. (Poor guy, he was hoarse – and sore – by the end of the whole thing. What at trooper.) We spotted Kristin and the Second City Fitness mascot doggies probably four times on the course. I also got a chance to wave at my friend Amanda, fellow #RunChi member Chuck and one of my CES coaches.

Mile 11.

In my many weeks of pestering Jeff about the plan for race day (I am painfully detail-oriented), he explained that we’d be shooting for a negative split and running the race like it was a 10-mile warm up with a 5K at the end.  We’d start out running around a 14:00/mile, drop the pace for the second mile, and try to mostly hold steady around 13:15-13:30 for miles 3-9, before ramping it up for the final push.  The plan worked.(It’s worth noting that with the bathroom break and some extra distance, I finished with a 13:20 pace.)

We passed Amanda, out cheering for us at mile 11 after she finished with her own kick ass 2:01 PR. It wasn’t until another half mile later that I realized I’d miscalculated how much water was left in my fuel belt and was getting tired, thirsty, sore and cranky. (FYI: This is not a great combination.)

With a mile left, I started to pick up speed. And I managed to cover the last quarter mile with a 9:35 pace. This was also I threatened to punch Jeff. Why? Not because he was pushing me too hard or because he was yelling – it was the opposite. As we closed in on the finish line, Jeff started congratulating me. He said he was so proud of me. And that I was about to reach the goal I’d worked so hard for over the past 2+ months. Panting, I turned to him and said: “Jeff, I swear to God. I will punch you if you make me cry right now. If I cry, I can’t breathe and I need all the air I can get.”

Gracious? Maybe not. But I was pushing as hard as I could at the end and felt the telltale lump in my throat.

As we ran into the chute, Jeff started shouting to the crowd “she’s getting a PR! She’s getting a PR!” And I swore, I heard people cheering my name.

As I kicked across the sensors, it was a rush of emotion – and a frantic effort to breathe. I turned and gave Jeff a hug and panted “thank you,” which still doesn’t seem adequate enough.

All along this journey, I’ve been humbled by the support and encouragement I’ve gotten from friends, my CES teammates and from Kristin and Jeff. In my first blog post, I said how I was discovering that Jeff believed in me even more than I believed in myself.

“The Ashley Project,” as Jeff calls it, is turning out to be about far more than just improving splits and snagging PRs. It’s about shedding doubt and insecurities and learning to believe in myself the way he believes in me. I tried to remember that in the final days before the race. When I started having a panic spiral, I repeated the Henry Ford quote that Jeff loves: “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” So by the time I woke up on race morning, I’d decided to simply believe I could do it (after all, I thought, why would Jeff set me up to fail?) and that I was in the mood to kick a little ass.

Seeing yourself through someone else’s eyes is, at first, profoundly uncomfortable. Those first few weeks of training made me want to alternately squirm or hide under the covers. But as my body’s gotten stronger, the rest of me has too. It hasn’t been easy and the journey certainly isn’t over – in fact, it’s really just beginning – but with each mile of that race course, I felt myself becoming a stronger person.

Now? I can’t wait for what’s next.

Want to know more? Follow Ashley on Twitter or DailyMile.

The Ashley Project (Part 1)

Editor’s Note: Ashley, a Second City Fitness client, began training with Jeff in late February and is blogging about her experiences. Today, less than a week after she snagged a huge PR in the Wisconsin Half Marathon, Jeff talks about how “The Ashley Project” is progressing and the race, which he ran along side her. She’ll give her version of the events tomorrow.

At the start.

When I first met Ashley, I was amazed at how perky, energetic, and happy she seemed. She was always smiling and giggling as she interacted with her fellow classmates waiting for yoga class to begin. Then Ashley came to check out one of my core classes and I noticed how self-deprecating she could be and how much she lacked self-confidence. So when we started working together — she’s teaching me how to use social media and I’m helping her with her training – I knew my biggest challenge would be getting her to trust me and believe in herself.

Now, it helped that Ashley was already exercising regularly.  She was running 3-4 times per week, taking yoga classes, swimming and occasionally taking other classes.  The problem was that she wasn’t really pushing herself at any of it.  Her lack of confidence and fear of failure kept her stagnant. So my first priority was to get Ashley challenged regularly. The first step? I had her attend core classes and a full body training session each week. I also did a stride analysis and made some adjustments to her running form and strategy, by asking her to try a 5:1 run/walk ratio instead of 4:2. While these things would eventually lead to physical changes, I knew I still needed to change her mind.

No matter what I was able to get Ashley to do physically, she was never going to reach her true potential if I couldn’t get her to believe in herself. So every chance I got, whether in person, via text, email or Facebook, I told Ashley how great she was doing and how proud I was of her work so far. Every time she said something negative about herself or that she couldn’t do something, I quickly corrected her. “Can’t” became the worst curse word she could possibly say. And I called her on it. Repeatedly.

As weeks passed, I began to slowly see her confidence improve along with her strength and stamina. She actually shocked herself with consecutive PR’s in 5Ks.  Finally, as we approached race day, she was beginning to believe she could run a sub 3 hour half marathon – something she’d previously thought was impossible (or a long way off) since her best time was 3:12.

Mile 6.

In the week leading up to the race, Ashley was still showing some anxiety, but nothing near what was typical when we started working together in February. It seemed as though she was actually beginning to trust me and believe that she could do it. When I found Ashley on race morning slightly jittery, but otherwise ready to rock. And I felt sure we were on the verge of a momentous day.

From the beginning of the race, I tried to distract Ashley with stories and jokes while covertly pushing her at a pace a bit faster than she was used to.  Surprisingly, even to me, she didn’t even bat an eye for the first nine miles as we moved along well ahead of pace. Even when the fatigue and pain did set in, Ashley grit her teeth and kept on pushing. When I demanded one last push for the final quarter mile, she came through again with her fastest running ever. (She did threaten to punch me, but that’s a different story. I’ll let her tell you about it tomorrow.)

At the end, she snagged a new PR by more than 14.5 minutes! And I’m so proud. Although “The Ashley Project” is by no means finished, I’m incredibly happy with the results we’ve achieved so far. I can’t wait to see what else she can accomplish as both her confidence and fitness continue to improve.  Stay tuned for further stories of the adventures of Miss Ashley. After all, triathlon season’s just beginning.

Excuses, excuses.

Excuses are a fact of life when you’re a trainer. Clients have excuses for not eating well, for not exercising, for missing sessions, for just about anything. Before I come across as an intractable hardass, I should probably let you in a secret: I’m a virtuoso when it comes to excuses. Why? Because I used to give them all the time – not only to others, but also to myself.

I didn’t have the time or energy to shop for or cook good food. That’s why I ordered pizza so much. I was stressed with school and work, so I drank a lot and downed pills. You see, when I moved to Chicago about 20 years ago, I was an obese (well above 300 pounds), pill-popping alcoholic … and an expert at making excuses. Thankfully, when I hit bottom, I learned an important lesson that still resonates with me today. I was hiding my fears behind walls of excuses. What if I start eating better and I still can’t lose weight? What if I start exercising and everyone laughs at how fat I am? What if people don’t think I’m as fun sober? What happens if I get clean, sober and thin and I’m still not successful? But here’s the amazing thing. Once I began working around all of my old excuses and seeing them for what they were, life opened up for me.

Now, I’m not saying that there aren’t real challenges people are facing in everyday life. After all, we encounter roadblocks all the time – even some that seem insurmountable. But what really makes the big difference in trying to work around a problem is how we go about tackling it. Things that seemed impossible can become manageable with some creative problem solving.

That’s why I don’t immediately discount what a client says when they give me an excuse. Instead, I listen and try to understand what the real problem is. Then I come up with a way we can work around it. Together, even if we can’t defeat the problem, we can at least take away some of the power it has to stop us in our tracks.

Years ago, I had a client referred to me because he had a minor heart attack. His wife and family were afraid if he didn’t make dramatic changes, he’d be headed to an early

grave. I spoke with him on the phone and made several appointments, all of which he later canceled because he said he too busy. Eventually he called and said he appreciated my efforts, but he considered himself a lost cause. He said he was never going to be able to see me regularly, and even if he did, he was never going to stop smoking, drinking and eating what he liked.

I admit it. My first thought was to write him off. I was frustrated with his cancellations and he seemed like a bit of a jerk. But instead, I asked him to meet me for lunch (at a place of his choosing) and give me thirty minutes to talk uninterrupted. I said that if after that he was unconvinced, I’d leave him alone for good. To my surprise, he agreed.

Once we sat down I told him to eat and listen while I talked. Then I started the stopwatch. I told him about my own history and how I got to be a trainer and then began to talk about him. I told him that I realized he and I were different and he had challenges that I didn’t, but I also talked about all the things he had going for that I never did. When I starting overhauling my life, I was alone in a new city with no money or connections. I didn’t have many friends, let alone those who were nearby. He, on the other hand, had a wife who loved him, three kids who adored him, and a successful career to support him. He was far from alone, I said. In fact, he had so many MORE reasons to try and change. Didn’t he want to grow old with his wonderful wife? Didn’t he want to see his kids graduate from high school? College? Get married? Meet his grandkids?

I told him that I while realized what I was asking him to do was hard, didn’t he think it was worth it? He became defensive and said that he’d do his best – but he wasn’t making any promises. In return, I said, the only promise I was looking for was for him to change “I can’t” to “I’ll try.”

Now I haven’t seen or spoken to him in many years and we never had a single training session. But I did convince him to make some changes. He cut down from two packs of cigarettes a day to less than a pack in the first six months. He also decided to only drink alcohol one day a week. He started keeping healthy snacks in his office and would walk to get his own lunch rather than order in. And although he swore he couldn’t schedule workouts, he did begin walking and taking stairs more while his wife instituted “Family Activity Time.” I checked in with him once a week for about nine months. A little more than a year after that first lunch meeting he sent me an email detailing the results of his

mandatory physical. Although, still far from perfect, he’d lost nine pounds, lowered his cholesterol and blood pressure and said he was feeling “much better.”

SUCCESS!

Do I wish he’d quit smoking? Yes! Do I wish he worked a little less and exercised more? Of course. But in the end, I asked him to try. He did and it worked.

The thing I hope everyone takes from this story is that “can’t” is nothing more than a four-letter word. Things in life are not all or nothing. If you don’t have the time or money to go to a gym, exercise at home. Or in your office. Or waiting in line at the grocery store. If your nicotine or caffeine habit has a REALLY strong hold on you, try to cut back just a little. If you really hate vegetables (like me), sneak them into soups or stews. (I do.)

Whatever challenge you face, no matter how daunting it may seem, promise yourself that you’ll at least make some sort of effort. The only true failure is the failure to try.

How to pick the best race ever.

I’m often asked “what’s your favorite race?” My answer’s the same: “It depends.”  I’m not trying to be a smartass or avoid giving a straight response. But there are so many different factors that can make a race great or make the experience one you’ll wish you could forget.

Here are my top five things to think about when you’re trying to choose a race.

1. Location. Nowadays you can find a race just about anywhere: in cities, suburbs, on streets, in parks, and on trails.  There are all kinds of options to consider.  Do you want to stay close to home? Or maybe make a little vacation out of it? (I love to combine races with visits to family and friends.)  Whatever you fancy, choosing a location is a great place to start.
2. Size. Here in Chicago, I’ve raced with as few as 25 participants and as many as 30,000.  I’ve had occasions where I felt claustrophobic and others where I was alone for almost the entire course. Only you can decide the vibe you want and whether it’s best to do a small or large event (or thing in between).  Either way, it’s helpful to be aware of the general size of a race before signing up, not once you’re fighting crowds to get to the starting line or panicking because you can’t find the rest of the participants.
3. Cost/Reward. Another big thing to consider when choosing a race is the balance between the registration fee and the swag you get in return. There’s a HUGE range in the cost of races, usually based on the size and complexity of the event as well as the goodies you get from the promoter and sponsors.  I’ve run races that cost only $5 or $10 because they were small, had no chip timing, and the goodie bag was sparse. But I’ve done some that cost more than ten times that, because they had the timing chip incorporated into your bib, the course passed through a hard-to-access location, had a ton of post-race food and drink, and premium participant’s jacket, etc.  So if you’re all about knowing your exact time or getting cool swag, you probably don’t want to sign up for the local church 5K.  But if you’re interested in saving some money and enjoying a relaxed atmosphere, a small neighborhood race might be just right.
4. Timing.  Racing events can be found year round, on different days of the week and at different times of day.  So it’s up to you to decide when you want to toe the starting line. If you prefer nice weather, it’s probably not wise to register for and event in Chicago between Thanksgiving and St. Patrick’s Day. If your job is super stressful and sometimes keeps you late, you’ll want to avoid a weeknight event. And if you tend to get roped into spending holiday weekends with your family, you probably don’t want to register for a 4^th of July event, unless of course it’s near the family picnic!
5. Reputation. Another thing that can help you choose an event is its history, as well as that of its organizers. With all of the wonders of social media, it’s a piece of cake to find commentary about events. Just keep in mind: if there are dozens of awesome reviews about a race online, either the organizers put on a great event or they have some dedicated friends faking reviews. Also remember that people LOVE to complain about any and everything, from the color of the race shirts to the music played over the loud speakers. That said, if all the people you come across have a horror story about a particular event, odds are it won’t suddenly become a great experience once you sign up.  Of course, opinions vary so there’s no guarantee that all you read and heard is true and representative. But if you find the same things repeated often enough, it’s usually a good indicator of what you can expect.  Research potential events to help narrow down your choices and better the odds of having a great time.

What things do you consider when you’re choosing a race?

Introducing Ashley

Editor’s note: Jeff’s handing this week’s blog duties over to Ashley, a client who’s become a (freakishly cheerful) part of the Second City Fitness community. She first started coming to the studio for yoga classes and is now a regular at our workouts. We’re not sure we could get rid of her if we tried. She’ll be blogging regularly about her training experiences.

To understand where I am now, it’s important to tell you where I’ve been. And it’s important to understand where I hope to go and why I started working with Second City Fitness.

To borrow a phrase from John “The Penguin” Bingham, I’m an accidental athlete. Growing up, I was occasionally sporty, but never talented or committed enough to be considered anything other than second string. Somewhere along the way – whether it was gymnastics in kindergarten (I had the wrong body type), or swimming in elementary school (not a sprinter), or the field hockey games in high school (I volunteered to play goalie because it involved less running.) – my “unathletic” title went from being casually implied to a simple fact.

And for the next two decades, it never occurred to me that might be a problem. 

That was until 2011 when I was staring down the barrel of a 30^th birthday and a scale that was teetering dangerously close to 250 pounds. With the support of a great group of friends, I began training for a 5K with the goal of finishing the race – running the entire way – in time for my birthday in May.  The race took me nearly 46 minutes to complete. But I crossed the finish line with an automatic PR and the first inkling that this running thing could transform me: mind, body and soul.

Since 2012, I’ve done more than a dozen races, including five half marathons and a triathlon. I changed my life, losing about 40 pounds and discovering that while I may not be the fastest (or medium-fastest or slow-fastest) runner out there, I’ve done more than I, and most people who knew me “before,” ever thought possible.

Ashley’s 2012 bibs and medals.

While I’m SO proud of what I accomplished and beyond grateful for the support from my friends and coaches at Chicago Endurance Sports, I decided this year it was time to try to push myself to another level. After all, I’d started this adventure more than two years ago with the idea that I could turn myself into a science experiment to see what my body was capable of. Now, two years later, I want to see what can happen if I turn up the heat.

Which is how I wound up having a heart-to-heart conversation with Jeff Schmelz and his wife, Kristin, and decided to jump head-first into a SCF training program.

About six weeks into this adventure, I’m stronger, faster and more confident about reaching my lofty (for me) goals as I train for my 6^th half marathon and my first international-distance triathlon. (Shhh. Don’t tell anyone, but I’m even thinking about a one-day half iron.) But more importantly, I’m learning about the emotional and psychological side of training – which might be the biggest hurdle to overcome.

The first week’s workout may as well have been a therapy session, complete with breakthroughs that went far beyond the workout realm.  It turns out I’m a scaredy-cat control freak with a healthy dose of skepticism (some might call this a “trust issue”). I’m also a perfectionist who was finding validation by meeting my easy-to-attain fitness goals. I was constantly under-reaching, in part because I was afraid of failing. And I was lacking the confidence to think that I could be anything other than slow, fat and, well, unathletic.

I picked up more fundamental things, too. Jeff told me to push my pace on runs and, it turns out, I actually could. (Who knew? Oh. Wait. He did.) Now, instead of the comfortable 14:00/mile, I’m keeping my solo runs around 12:00-12:30. Meanwhile, I wasn’t drinking enough water and was consuming too few calories to support my workouts. Pushing myself and fueling has already made a difference.

These first few weeks have been filled with rough workouts (I’m looking at you, alternating-arm kettlebell swings), but with some really profound moments, too. And the process has involved more than just weekly core classes and training sessions. I’m doing homework every day by keeping a journal and adding calisthenics to my daily routine. (What, you don’t do squats, lunges and pushups in the breakroom?)

But the most humbling and inspiring thing has been getting a chance to see myself through someone else’s eyes. It turned out Jeff believed in me far more than I believed in myself.

A blogger I love is spending time this year talking about how we write our own stories and take our own misrepresentations and half-truths and turn them into our own facts. With Second City Fitness, I’m slowly rewriting my own story – one day at a time. It’s a scary, powerful, nerve-wracking, awe-inspiring, fascinating, hard and sweaty process. And I’m loving every single day.

If only I’d started it earlier.

Want to know more? Follow Ashley on Twitter or DailyMile.

What NOT to do on race day

With the running and cycling season kicking off in Chicago, the weekends are getting busy with races. Since last week’s blog focused on things you SHOULD do during a race, it makes sense that this week’s post focuses on things you SHOULD NOT do. Not to be a downer, but there’s a lot that can go wrong on race day. (That’s why this list isn’t exhaustive – or close to it). But even when Murphy’s Law is in full effect, there’s still lots of things you can easily control to make sure you’re setting yourself up for the best possible race experience. Here’s my top five important things NOT to do.

1. Don’t wear anything new:  The day of your event is NOT (hear me? NOT!) the time to break out a cute new outfit or shiny new shoes.  If you haven’t already worn it during your training, you SHOULD NOT wear it during the event.  Finding out mid-way through a race that your new shirt chafes isn’t really my idea of fun. Neither things that cause pinching, rubbing and blisters. This seems simple, yet every year I hear of someone buying new shoes right before their 5k or a brightly colored outfit so family and friends can see them better during the marathon. As much as we all want to look great in a race photo, remember: these events are neither beauty contests nor fashion shows. If you want to wear something new, make sure you’ve done several workouts in the gear before race day.
2. Don’t eat or drink anything different:  Just like you shouldn’t wear something new on race day, you shouldn’t EAT anything new either. The morning of your event isn’t the time to experiment with nutrition.  If you’ve had a large coffee and a donut every other morning, even though it seems like a healthier choice, don’t choose the morning of your big run or ride to try having a massive bowl of oatmeal.  If you’re like most other folks, you’ll likely a bit nervous before an event. And that can lead to a jittery G.I. system.  There’s no reason to take a chance on strange foods that can cause problems. (The same goes for anything you eat or drink during the event. If you haven’t tried it in your training, think about skipping it on the course.)
3. Don’t stress about performance:  Once you’re within a week of your event, there’s nothing you can do training-wise to improve your performance. If you’ve trained properly, you’re ready and you only risk injury if you try to push yourself to log a few more workouts in the final days.  If your training hasn’t been great, you’re still better off being slightly under trained – but healthy and rested – than attempting to make up for it at the very end.  Once you get to the start line,  relax! Trust yourself and your training.
4. Don’t begin the event cold:  Another great reason to get to the start early is to make sure you have plenty of time to warm up.  No matter if you’re a first timer or a seasoned veteran, you should ALWAYS warm up.  What you decide to do (and for how long) can vary based on the expected duration of the event, the race conditions, etc. But you should never go in to an event cold. Otherwise, you risk both injuries and a miserable day. Keep in mind: You don’t necessarily need to do a lot. Try some brisk walking, jumping jacks, or running in place to get your heart rate up and blood flowing to the muscles. Use your training to experiment to find out what works best for you.
5.  Don’t start too fast:  The crowd! The signs! The cheering! The clapping! It’s easy it is to get caught up in the excitement and energy of a mass start and feel like you’re being carried along in the rush of so many bodies. But do whatever you can to resist the urge to go out fast.  Pacing is key no matter the sport or distance.  If you waste energy at the start, you’re far more likely to crash before you get to the finish.  A good goal for any sport is to start easy and finish strong. (Plus, then you’ll get to satisfaction of catching – and PASSING – those dumb-dumbs who sprinted the start and lost all their energy.)

Happy racing!

A twitter reply – sprained ankles

Exercises for sprained ankle recovery? I’m dying w/o running! #runchi #runnerds

I saw this posted on twitter and I wanted to reply, but I knew it would take more characters than Twitter would provide. Here are my thoughts…

Depending on the severity of the sprain and the amount of recovery already experienced, there are many things you can do.

First work on passive (non-weight baring) range of motion. Sitting or laying down, work on moving your feet around in a complete circle. Do NOT force it.  If there is severe resistance and/or pain, take it easy.

If you can do this easily, you can add resistance (with a towel, belt or exercise tubing).  Once this is accomplished without pain (or very little) you can begin with weigh bearing ROM and strengthening moves such as varied angle calf raises, squats, lunges etc.

Even once you have accomplished this, you are not necessarily ready to run again.  I suggest walking mixed with aqua running (in a deep pool using a flotation belt) to build up muscles and strengthen the connective tissues before trying to run.

Sprained ankles can be very frustrating, especially since symptoms and pain can linger long after you feel they should have ceased.  A little caution and patience up front can get you back to running strong sooner!

@2ndCityFit

How to have a stress-free race

As a trainer, I always encourage clients to sign up for an event (like a 5k, stair climb or bike ride) to help them focus on their goals.  But there’s more to having a great event than just signing up and training.  I’ve lost count of how many people have told me that their race day was miserable due to some reason that had nothing to do with fitness or training.  It’s one thing to have a bad day because you just weren’t feeling your best, but it’s something else altogether to watch your hard work go to hell because you couldn’t find a portapotty, a parking spot, or your shoes on race morning. You’ve put in the training time. Now here are a few final steps to make sure your race day goes smoothly.

1. Study the event layout:  These days just about every event has a website with a map and information about what will be available on race day.  Use this to make a plan.  How are you getting there?  If you drive, where’s parking?  If you’re taking the CTA, what is the nearest stop? Do they have gear check?  If so, where is it?  Where are the bathrooms?  Are there aid stations?  Where? Look at the course.  Where does it go? Are there any crossover points or tricky turns?  The more prepared you are, the less stressful the day will be. (I even thought I was cool once and rode my bike to a running race only to have a hell of a time finding a spot to lock up. So check that too.

2. Pick up your packet before event day: Nearly every event has a packet of information, identification (race bib, bike decals, etc.), and maybe some freebies and swag.  It’s standard for race organizers to offer packet picket up in the days before the event and many offer you the option to get your stuff the day of. Please! DO NOT wait until race morning. I’ve participated in more than a hundred of these events and assisted in putting on dozens more. And inevitably there are always hiccups: someone’s race information is wrong, their chip doesn’t work, or it’s just missing all together.  If you catch problems like these early, they can be fixed, but on event morning, the odds are not in your favor.

3. Lay everything out the night before: Maybe you weren’t the kid who set out a carefully selected week’s worth of school clothes on a Sunday night.  But when it comes to races, it’s to your benefit to be prepared. Take time the night before to lay everything out you’ll need: your clothing, socks, shoes, hat, sunglasses, Gu, Garmin, lucky penny, whatever. If you want it during the event – or even THINK you’ll want it – spend time searching for it when you’re not rushed to get out the door.

4. Leave early:  Your event begins at 8am and you live 30 minutes away.  You figure you can leave home at 7:15 and be just fine, right?  Think again. What about traffic?  What if there’s an issue with parking?  Or what if there’s a last minute issue with spouse, kids, pet, etc.?  In a perfect world, you’d be able to time things out to the minute. But in reality, Murphy’s Law inevitably kicks in on race morning so give yourself plenty of extra time. There’s no penalty for being early to an event. (OK, maybe you’ll be unmercifully mocked if you’re at the 5K start line 2 hours before the gun, but seriously.) I’d rather relax in my car or do a little warm up than be running frantically to the start line 10 minutes late.

5. Use the bathroom:  At the risk of sounding like my grandmother, I am going to tell you GO TO THE BATHROOM whether you think you need to or not!  I don’t care if you think Port o’ Potties are disgusting or you have a bladder of steel.  Once you begin a physical task the urge to go becomes …strong. Empty out the system beforehand.  Don’t let the need for a pit stop ruin your event.

Running your first marathon

Hey, hey! Congrats! You’ve gone and done it. You finally signed up for a marathon. If you’re here in Chicago, you either jumped online in the first 30 minutes of registration or you entered the lottery like 40,000 others hoping for one of those 15,000 remaining spots.  Either way, you’re officially entered in the Bank ofAmerica Chicago Marathon.  Congratulations!

1) Set a goal: The first thing you need to do is decide what you want out of this experience.  Do you to simply finish? Are you hoping to match (or beat) a friend or family member’s time? Are you hoping for the easiest training experience or do you want to push yourself hard for the medal and the bragging rights that go with it? Each one is a totally valid option, and only you can ultimately determine just how much you’ll need to sacrifice – mentally, emotionally, socially as well as physically – in the months leading up to your race. Be realistic: you’ll likely need to invest many more hours into running a 4-hour marathon than just trying to survive the course and finish before the cut-off. Make sure you’re setting a smart goal, but know it can be adapted in the weeks and months ahead. Need some help? Set up a free fitness consultation.So … now what?!  Don’t spend the next seven months panicking. (Or sitting on your duff.) Here are my five suggestions about how to make sure you cross the finish line, while kicking ass, taking names and making sure your first marathon experience is a great one.

2) Tell the world: As a veteran of more than three-dozen marathons, let me tell you: the second you clicked “register,” you signed yourself up for a totally epic adventure! While the race itself is an amazing experience (thanks to the thousands of supporters lining the course), it’s the journey to the start line that’s even more important. If you’re going to get there, you’ll need as much support as possible. How do you do that? TELL. EVERYONE. Seriously. Make sure every family member, friend and coworker knows about your goal and don’t be shy to remind them (without being that obnoxious braggart) as you shift into high-gear. Trust me, there will be times – in some cases, many times – when you won’t want to do a training run. There will be nights when you hate telling friends you need bail early because you have a long run in the morning. As much as it sucks in the moment, you’ll be a lot more likely to stick to your plan if everyone around you is teasing you about your early bedtime or asking you “How’s the training going?”

3) Get a plan:  Unless you’re doing an early season race, you’re most likely just doing a few runs a week to maintain your general fitness.  (If you’re new to running or returning from a hiatus, check out my tips for getting back on the path.) Regardless, your workouts will have to change drastically as you get closer to race day and it’s best to have an organized plan to provide structure to your training. This could be as simple as Googling “marathon training plan” or more focused by joining a training group (like Chicago Endurance Sports, CARA or Team in Training to name a few) or hiring a trainer/coach (like me!) to develop a plan that’s specifically tailored for you.  Whatever you choose, I HIGHLY suggest having a structured 12-20 week training program to keep you honest and keep yourself focused on your race goal.  Sure, plans can get tweaked (and often need to be) because of anything from illness and injury to work or family scheduling issues. But having a rough outline to follow increases the odds of a successful race. 

4) Pick build-up races:  It’s not a requirement, but I encourage my clients to run a series of progressively longer race (5K, 10K, 10 miler, half marathon, 20 miler) during a training cycle. Why? There are several reasons: 1) it gives you mini goals to help gauge your progress; 2) it helps acclimate you to “race day” conditions where you’ll be running in a crowd, watching spectators and hitting aid stations; 3) it give you a change to fine-tune your pre-race routine by learning how long it takes to get ready, what food’s best to eat before a race and what sort of warm up you need. And finally, 4) the shorter races give you a chance to figure out the best pacing strategy for your body.  The more practiced and comfortable you are come race day, the more likely you’ll have – and enjoy – a successful marathon.

5) Schedule your training: Once you’ve chosen a training plan, bust out your calendar and see how it meshes with your program. Trust me: 20 milers are hard enough, but having to do one the morning before the family picnic or the day of your best friend’s wedding really sucks!  If you look at your calendar early on, the training plan can be adapted with little added stress and allow you to get all the necessary quality training time.  While you should follow your training plan, it’s important to remember that it’s always better to arrive at race day slightly under-trained and healthy (and relaxed!) than to line up in the corral exhausted, injured and stressed. (Fair warning, though: That doesn’t mean it’s ok to relax on your sofa with snacks and a beverage until a few weeks before the race.) But don’t panic if life gets in the way every now and then.

Despite how you’ll likely feel at some parts of the training (and the race itself), running a marathon really should be fun. If you put all you can into preparation, then all you’ll need to do on race day is relax and enjoy! Oh, and run!