Swell Fitness: Siskiyou Century

I'm a lapsed runner and a sometimes biker. I'd like to get back into both in the next month, as the weather starts cooling down around here (I'm in Northern California). My first goal will be completing the short leg - 37 miles - of the Siskiyou Century ride, which runs very close to my house.

I've found that having a goal helps to keep me on track.  I used to keep running notebooks, just your average cheapo single theme spiral-bound book, and I'd staple my race numbers inside. It felt good to keep a running count of my mileage, thinking, wow, that's almost all the way to Sacramento, etc. 

One of the easiest ways to keep track is DailyMile.com.  I've probably mentioned it before, but that's because I find it to be a great tool. You can connect it with your Twitter and Facebook account which I find helps to keep me accountable as well as helping to connect me with friends who have similar interests.

Are you active?  If so, what motivates you? 

Swell Fitness: Running Mantras

I've mentioned before that I'm a runner. I'm sure that I've also mentioned that it's never easy for me. I have few truly "easy" runs, but at the end of the run, that feeling of accomplishment makes each and every one truly worth it.

To deal with the challenges of running, I've found a few things that work well for me. For example, I like to measure a run in short laps or short distances, hit repeatedly, in order to make my way through the miles. That way I can tell myself, I'm a 1/10 of the way there, 1/4 of the way there, etc. Another trick I use is I repeat mantras to myself.

Deepak Chopra explains the way a mantra helps here.......

You can use a mantra (sound) to increase the benefit of exercise. Research with instruments such as the electroencephalograph or EEC, which measures electrical activity in the brain, has shown that certain mental states are beneficial to both physical and mental health. Specifically, researchers have found a very beneficial condition of “restful attention,” which is typically observed during meditation.

Simply put - a mantra is a form of meditation.

I'm not sure how "restful" my mantras are, as one of them is AC/DC's "T.N.T., I'm Dynamite." Another is from Trapt's song, Headstrong that goes, "Back off I’ll take you on, Headstrong to take on anyone," (I run better when just a tiny bit pissed).  I also like to think of Steve from Blues Clues saying, "Just keep going." That may not be totally accurate, but that's what I think I remember him saying. Doesn't matter - it works even if it's wrong.

The last mantra that I use works well with my concept of short laps. I tell myself when I start out, "I can do anything for an hour." Then, it turns into, "I can do anything for 30 minutes," "I can do anything for 12 minutes," etc. And I'm 100% correct - I can do anything for an hour. I gave birth to three babies and I had long, long labors with each. Running for an hour is most definitely no big thing.

Do you use any sort of mantra when you exercise? Do you find that giving yourself a pep talk mid-workout helps to increase your energy?

Swell Fitness: National Running Day

Did you know that today, June 2, 2010, is National Running Day?

National Running Day is a national initiative of the major organizations within the running industry to join forces in an unprecedented unified effort to nationally promote running as a healthy, easy, and accessible form of exercise. The second annual National Running Day will be Wednesday, June 2.

Events are being held throughout the US, so click here to find an event near you.

I'm a runner. Up until about 4 years ago, I never thought I would be. Running was something that they made us do every year for the President's Fitness Tests and I hated it.

Then, I had a meeting with a personal trainer and she mentioned that it really would be a good way for me to lose weight and increase my fitness. She mentioned trying to take it slow - run a minute, walk a minute, run a minute, walk a minute. It sounded crazy, but I gave it a try. It worked. It was hard, the minute running felt endless, but eventually I was running for 30 minutes or more. The fitness came pretty quickly - my brain might question every run, might say, "Hey, I don't really want to do this," but my body loves it.

I have found that I do better when I break my run into smaller increments, loops around an area that is smallish. Or I make it seem like play - run in the rain, run down a hill - anything that reminds me of being a kid and running while playing tag or hide & go seek.