Fitness rest week for Ronna

Rest is an important piece of wellness

Ever have one of those days?  How about a week long bout of it?  We all have bad days & sometimes we have bad weeks!

Last week on our session, Ronna had been through a tough week.  We spent much of our session discussing what was going on.  We talked about how she felt, her thoughts on how her healthy lifestyle progress & the support she was getting from friends & family. 

We ended up deciding she was due for a rest week, both mentally & physically.  

Today was our session after her rest week.  Big difference!  Her circumstances haven't changed but was HAS changed is her attitude.  Don't get me wrong, Ronna is a positive person.  But it's clear she needed a break & I'm thrilled she was open to taking it.  

We ALL need a break from time to time.  It doesn't make us weak, or uncommitted.  It doesn't mean we aren't reaching our goals.  It's actually part of being healthy!  Purposely taking time to recharge is a must.  Hence vacation from work, school break & rest days/weeks from training.

Do you take rest days?  How about rest weeks?  If you do, congrats!  If you don't, start doing it!  You'll be a stronger & healthier person for it!   

If you need a little guidance with your quest for a healthy, fit life let me know.  It doesn't matter where you live or what level you are at, OnTrack Fitness offers fitness training for everyone! 

Negative running experience, positive outcome

Every day after school started the same. I went to the nurse, stood in an ice bath, had my shins wrapped and headed off to do my 1 mile run for track practice. 

This 1 mile run was the intended warm up for practice, but it was all my shins could handle. After taking 3x’s as long as the others, it was back to the ice bath then home.

I swore I wasn't a runner. Trying out for the track & field team in high school was a way to prove myself wrong. I like to test my doubts at times, but by month two I left the team because I could not competitively contribute. I had earned the nickname: “twin shins.”

Years later, I remained physically active but without goals. Knowing “I don’t have shins to run” I never wanted to try again. 

That was until March 2012. Overcoming health complications with my thyroid, I began adjusting my diet and craved a fitness plan that would motivate and keep me accountable. I began the couch to 5k program. Gradually building my distance and learning my natural stride really helped me train injury-free.

 It was May that I signed up for my first 5k: “Color Me Rad” in September of 2012. Once I ran this event, the addiction began. My journey had inspired others and I began coaching my cousin, Rebecca on her journey to a 5k. Today, I have completed a handful of 5ks and one 4 mile race with Rebecca. This November, I will be running in my first half marathon in downtown Indianapolis, alongside Rebecca.

Learning my natural stride, staying accountable, gaining some confidence, and letting my legs recover respectively has made running my favorite cardio exercise. Not to mention, it provides a great sense of therapy emotionally and mentally!

Written by Laura Leachman, OnTrack Fitness group fitness instructor Indianapolis IN

Balancing Family and Fitness

Balancing family and fitness:  The ever-present struggle for myself and my family.  I am a single mom with an 11 year old daughter and a 9 year old son.  

Like so many others we struggle with diet, exercise and keeping up with all of the day to day responsibilities that this life has to offer; work, school, homework dinner, showers…  keeping your home from becoming a really bad

episode of “World’s Messiest Home.”  Throw into that mix trying to teach them, by example, to stay active and live healthy.  

It can be very difficult and while it is a struggle, I have come to know it’s a struggle well worth it in the end.  You may also come to find that it becomes a release that allows you to let go of the stresses that plague so many of us and helps to make everyone in the family happier and closer together.

In the beginning of this journey I have only started, it was just trying to get out for a little bit after dinner, before it got dark.  The kids would strap on skates, getting pulled along by the dog and I would run with them.  Little by little we worked on going further and further.  I noticed the kids becoming happier, less restless and grumpy.  They grew to really love this part of the day.  Not only was it exercise which is good for us all but it was a bit of family time with just the three of us away from TV’s, computers and electronic games.  

As time went by and I saw progress I didn’t expect within myself I wanted to keep going further.  I heard about and signed up for a beginner half marathon program through OnTrack Fitness.  Scary?  Yes!  I was terrified.  

I went into this never expecting that I would ever actually run it but I thought that in the least this program would keep me motivated and hold me accountable to keep exercising.  I was also excited that we met in local parks and the kids were able to come alone and skate with me as I trained.  We started little by little a couple nights a week but we stuck with it and kept going.  The group setting and learning everyone else’s struggles and successes really helped to keep me from giving up when the going got tough.

In the end, I did run and finish the half marathon.  The program was amazing and it worked exactly as they said it would.  My confidence was soaring.  The kids along the way met some amazing people and saw that through hard work and struggle you can accomplish amazing things that you never believed you are capable of.  

This is a huge gift in itself.  Since then I have gone on to run more races and complete my first triathlon.  The kids participated in the Junior Joggers program put on by OnTrack Fitness as well.  Recently, both of my children ran along with me and completed their first 5k.  They are super excited about running and can’t wait to participate in the next race that comes to town. 

All in all, sometimes it’s harder than others to balance everything going on but I make my best effort to fit this in even if I have to give up something that I may want to do more.  It’s a gift you can give to your whole family that will last a lifetime. 

Written by Beth Anne Davis, OnTrack Fitness personal trainer in Yuma AZ

Registering for the Honolulu Marathon

I'm officially registered for the Honolulu Marathon!  

My 14 mile long run, which was the goal before I registered, went really well last week.  This is the longest run to date so I celebrated by registering. 

"Congratulations, you have successfully registered."

But 14 miles won't hold that title for long!  I have one more 14 miler then it goes up again, and again, all the way to 20 miles in training.  Then....marathon.  

And for now I'm enjoying my rest week this week.  No running, no resistance training, just enjoying other things while my body and mind rests up.  I'll be ready to go next week!

Longest run in marathon training

It's a big week!  This week I'm running the longest distance in my life & I'm really excited.  I'm ready!

It's not much more than I've ran before, 14 miles, but it feels good to be trekking into new territory and I'm starting to feel like a real marathon runner.  
So, after my longest run ever I'm celebrating by registering for the Honolulu Marathon.  That is, after a snack & an ice bath!

Fitness update

Another healthy week is on the books for Ronna!  Her quest for a healthier

lifestyle is going very well.  

Ronna has lost another pound, a total of just under 7 pounds in 9 weeks.  That may seem low but it's actually right on target.  Losing 1/2 - 2 pounds per week is ideal.  

She's also noticing she's fitting better into clothes much better.  This is an indicator that she's losing fat.  

The weight loss is great & it's one of her goals, but the healthy lifestyle change is the ultimate goal.  She's doing this the right way & learning how to be a role model for her kids.  Every week we work on making healthy habits.  Here's what she's incorporated so far:  

• Eats three meals a day & includes snacks if needed within her daily calorie goal
• Grocery shopping every week & planning ahead for meals & snacks
• Learning the cues of feeling full & stops eating when she feels these cues
• We've found workouts she enjoys & she's learned the best time of day to get them in.  She also hasn't shoved crazy amounts of exercise onto herself.  3-4 times/week is enough plus being conscience of staying active.
• Listening to her body & incorporating rest weeks when needed (about every 4-6 weeks is good for Ronna)

She's starting to understand her body's cues - that things don't have to be perfect to be healthy - and that there's room for personal preference choices with nutrition & exercise.  

We're both loving this progress & looking forward to the upcoming weeks because she's really on a roll!

Ronna's fitness update: week 8

We're in week 8 of Ronna's training with OnTrack Fitness (via long distance) & I'm happy to say things are going very well for her.

It's not because of me, and it isn't because life's a bed of roses.  Ronna is succeeding because she made the decision that she will succeed. It's paying off!

Here are a few of her successes:

• Weight loss.  As of week 6 she lost over 5 pounds 
• Measurements.  As of week 6 her measurements have decreased 7 inches from her waist & chest (I won't let her do total body until 12 weeks)

WAIT - here's the really cool successes:

• Soda now tastes bad.  In fact, now if she tastes it she doesn't like it at all.  Now she prefers water.  
• Her body "is starting to reset what it's tastes are."  Now, one bite of a dessert is enough and she's actually preferring fruits as a treat.
• No more skipping meals.  Before when she was stressed she'd skip meals.  No more meal skipping, the focus is on staying fueled to better deal with what's going on in life. 
• Her body is craving exercising & it LOVES the feeling of a good workout!  She's becoming more confident that she can start a workout, do well, and finish it feeling great.  
• Her energy level has increased & that it's affecting her ability to be more involved with her kids.  She doesn't tucker out & in fact she looks forward to doing things like taking them to Chuck E Cheeses and playing with them!  That's a life changer for her family.  Isn't that what being healthy is all about?!

Bravo Ronna!  You've taken every piece of information I've given you and made it your own.  This is just the start of a wonderful new life ahead!

I interviewed Ronna about her experience.  Read about what she thinks of long distance training.