What fitness means to you

Have you ever thought about what fitness means to you? 

This has been on my mind a lot since I've started recovering from long term illness. What does fitness really mean to me? Where does it fall in my life? These are questions that are important to me, and if you're someone who exercises regularly, I encourage you to think about this too.

As I start feeling healthier, I'm finding that my perspective on lots of different things are changing. Things that I thought never would change are indeed looking different to me. It's an odd side effect! 

So many wonderful people I've met through
OnTrack Fitness!

I'll start from the beginning, bear with me it'll all come together in the end. I started becoming interested in fitness at the age of nine. I don't know why, I was just intrigued by this new idea I heard of somewhere that by doing pushups I could do MORE pushups. What - wow, that was such a cool idea to a little girl! 

So I got my uncle to teach me how to do pushups, I got my mom to buy me one pound dumb bells (ha! Ok, I was nine) & I would carry them as I ran laps around our house. I got my dad to build a pullup bar in the garage, from my play batton, by the way. So funny! This was my intro into fitness & I loved it!

Then I went through a phase I thought exercise was stupid. Like all kids as they grow, likes & dislikes change. I was more about climbing trees & swimming which is funny considering that too is physical.

*Disclaimer, the following may trigger people who struggle with eating disorders.*
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At thirteen I developed an eating disorder, and along with that I exercised. A lot. I became obsessed with both food and exercise. It was unhealthy, obviously, and it really took front and center of my life. Fitness wasn't fitness. It was my life, my obsession.  

Unless you've known me since my teens you probably don't know I had an eating disorder. I was lucky because my family was on top of it & I got help quickly and was able to recover for the most part within a year and started eating again. However, I went from this to being obsessed with being healthy. "Perfect" eating (which doesn't exist but nonetheless) and over exercising was my life. 

I wouldn't go out to eat because I didn't know what they were putting into my food. I put exercise as the most important thing in my day. I skipped events, skipped family gatherings, skipped school to exercise. Fitness, again (or still), had become the only thing in my life. 

Guys, let me be clear: this isn't fitness. By any standards. If you find yourself in this place, I urge you to get help. You can overcome this. Keep reading...

I look back on all of that now & it doesn't seem like it was me. It feels like I'm remembering a movie of someone else's story.

In my early 20's I hit a point where things changed. It started with a bible study that was focused on having a healthy relationship with food. It hit home & I can honestly say through this study plus lots & lots of prayers and lots & lots of work I was truly and wholly healed from my unhealthy relationship with food and exercise. It just all made sense, and the obsession no longer was of interest to me.

I still ate healthy, but I relaxed. I enjoyed food. I went out to eat, I allowed others to cook for me. And wonder of wonders I actually ate junk food every now and then! I didn't think about food all the time. I still exercised but now instead of over exercising, I started doing running races which helped me learn how to exercise for a goal, take time off & feel good about doing it correctly instead of constantly. I learned & practiced doing it, having fun, then letting it go. And this did take practice but I was ready to be free.

Then I learned about triathlon and it took me to a different level. I really learned to train and rest. I did my workouts then went on with life. This is hard to explain but by doing these races I wasn't focused on continuous exercise, instead on doing a specific workout. I got it done and moved on with life. It freed me to relax! I loved the shift from fitness being life to it being part of my life.

And then it hit. Chronic illness. Everything changed. There were times I thought I'd brought this on myself by the years of obsession. But my docs assured me that it was not my doing and in fact, since I was an exerciser it helped me stay healthier than if I'd not. Thank God I'd gotten a better handle on things years before this. They told me to keep exercising. And so I did, but boy it was different. It was hard, so hard. I still loved it but on the other hand it was joyless in a way. I knew it helped me regulate my energy, it gave me energy but it was me literally willing myself to move. 

These were dark years. But there was good too. Even though it took a lot of mental will, triathlon was a symbol of freedom for me. It was a way to draw a line in the sand and tell this stupid illness "you won't take everything from me!" 

Fitness started looking like a way to connect. Connect to myself, to gain energy, to listen to my body, to learn how to eek out every little bit out of what little energy I had. It became less about getting better & more about...I guess just being. Being me, being free. Being someone who still did, still could even if it wasn't what I wanted it to look like. I guess it became more about acceptance.

Little by little it became less about me & more about a way to praise and worship God. I would spend my runs praying & being thankful that I could run. Yes it was kinda like a shuffle. It was slow, it was hard. But it was. It was a gift, and that's beautiful. 

This took practice too, and I often failed miserably to see fitness as a gift. Because that is what it was.

My first marathon, during illness but prior
to mono. An accomplishment I never
thought would happen.

Now that I'm starting to heal (my docs finally found the cause & I'm being treated) I'm unexpectedly finding my definition of fitness changing again. I didn't expect any of these feelings that I can't even describe, yet here they are! 

Fitness. Wow, it's been quite a ride and I'm still on it. Fitness now seems to me still a beautiful gift. But this gift we're given, what if it's about being fit enough to do what we are called to do in this life? What if it's someone who physically can't exercise yet they can be fit enough to make it through their day? What if a person can't do a triathlon, and reap those benefits? But they can eat well, and sleep well, and pray well enough to get up and go to work and be sunshine to someone who needs it? What if this is fitness?

What if we use it to not focus on ourselves, but on others? What if my whole entire life was leading me to become the coach I am now, the person I am now? That I attract the athletes we have at OnTrack Fitness because of who I became due to all of my life experiences - and that we are there to love and support and encourage and pray and treat others with respect? 

What if fitness is just the means by which we're doing that?

What if we don't use fitness as our identity? After all, there will come a day when our workout days come to an end. Then what? I want more. I want to be what I was called to be, don't you? This podcast made me think. So did this post.

What if that's what my fitness looks like?

I think so. I'm still learning but maybe this is my fitness now. Yes I still train & exercise & set goals & love exercise. But maybe...there's more to this. I'm excited for this new phase in my life! 

So let me ask you, what is your fitness? 

Triathlon, marathon & never giving up

I'm going to share some extremely personal, difficult memories. I hope that it helps whoever needs an encouraging word during a tough time right now.  

During the first year or two of dealing with my illness, after suffering extreme fatigue day in & day out with no answers as to why, I hit a crucial point in my life. 

It was a long road but well worth the fight

I remember vividly. I was sitting at the gas station by my house waiting on traffic so I could pull onto the road to go to a training session. I just couldn’t do this. I couldn’t live like this, so very very fatigued every moment of every day. Pain everywhere, illness often. Weight piling on. “I cannot do this anymore. I can't fight this. I’m going to quit trying to find answers & give in to this illness” I said this to myself with tears in my eyes, too tired to actually cry.

When the words came out, they slapped me - the old me - awake. “You aren’t giving up. That’s not you. You are a fighter and you’re going to be alive one way or the other. Do you want to get deeper into this illness, let it take over everything, or do you want to do what you can in each moment to try and get your health back?”

In that moment everything changed, and it has been different ever since. I was still sick. But I AM a fighter. I do not want my illness to define every piece of me. It’s taken too much already & tries to take more every day. So I made the decision that I wasn’t going to give up. I was not going to allow it to make me someone I wasn't.

Let me give you a little perspective about some things, and I'll do it through race history.

TRIATHLON
I did my first triathlon in 2000. Then in the middle of training for my next one, I got ill. I wasn't able to do my second tri. 

It was six years before I was healthy enough to do that second triathlon. Did you get that? I spent six entire years working on my health before I could reach that second race.

There were a lot of tears during those years. They were dark years with a lot of physical suffering. And, each season realizing my body wasn't strong enough, yet again there was disappointment. But I never forgot that day at the gas station and kept doing what I needed to do to gain back at least some of my health. That goal helped keep me going. Maybe that's why these races are important...

The struggle is real, folks!
But the celebration is great.

During that time I never lost my sights on my goal. I talked about it, had photos hanging I’d printed on local races & kept in my head that I will be healthy enough to do this again. 

Today those times are a distant memory. I've done countless triathlons since including sprints, Olympics & even 70.3 relay! I am not back to my original health but I got well enough to race. The experience is not something I would wish for but it has given me a grateful heart.

MARATHON

It took me at least three attempts over several years to cross the marathon finish line. 

My first try was when we lived in Indiana. I'd chosen my race, the Space Coast Marathon in Florida. Attempt one was a big giant no go. My body wasn’t strong enough to endure so many miles. 

When we moved to Arizona in 2013, I started feeling much healthier so I picked up my marathon goal again pretty quickly after the move. I hit only mile 8 in training before my body said no way. Attempt two was gone. 

The following year I tried it again. My mileage got higher but yet again, I couldn’t stay healthy long enough to train.

I took a couple more years to gain strength before trying again.   

We had since moved to Hawaii and since it was my first year there I decided to run to get to know my new city. I was going to keep going until my body said no or I crossed the finish line of a marathon.

After at least five years and three solid tries I finally crossed the finish line of my first marathon! I'm here to tell you that was a good day.

My happy face after my 1st marathon

The entire training season through race day was one of the greatest experience of my life, definitely the best training season. I felt healthier than I had in as long as I could remember, my body responded wonderfully to the miles & race day was a celebration of the many years of struggle. It was a wonderful gift from God.

I'm a lot better now than those first years. But I still have my chronic illness. It comes & goes as it pleases, and I could have months of feeling bad. There are still tears sometimes. But I always go back to that day at the gas station & keep going. Every race I see as a gift & blessing because even though I don't perform as well as I would like to, I'm able do it! That means so much.

You may be in the tough years right now. I encourage you to take care of yourself FULLY. Get healthy, get things right for yourself and never give up. Your dreams can be goals, something that IS going to happen. Believe that they can happen even if you don't really see how right now. Choose to be the person that fights & struggles & cries & gets help & if the person you ask for help doesn't follow through find someone else. Fight for yourself, trust in the fact that things get bad, really bad, but they get BETTER TOO. 

Keep your vision in front of you & let it be one of the reasons you keep going through the hard times. You may feel things won’t get better. They won’t get better if you give up. They can, and will, if you keep going. So keep going! - coach Emily Collins www.ontrackfitness.net

Triathlon training and goals

As triathletes our focus is always on gaining speed. How can we get faster, better, stronger? It makes sense. After all we're training hard for a race and want to see results.

What if instead of always focusing on tougher, harder training sessions we shift our outlook? Let me suggest that there is more to being a triathlete than an intense training session. 

For myself because of my health, I don't see much in terms of gaining speed. It can be...annoying to put it nicely. So I've readjusted my focus and taken a look at my stats to see what I can improve instead of looking at what doesn't (& may never) improve. Let me share what I'm improving upon. You can take part in it too. 

Swim: 

•  Stroke rate. Mine is lower than I want & lower than it should be.
  FYI - In hip driven swimming, which is what I believe is best for triathlon, the stroke rate will be lower than shoulder driven, which can be 70-90 strokes per minute. I'm working with my tempo trainer to increase stroke rate.
• Balance. My balance is way better than it used to be. But I'm not satisfied with it & know I can improve.
• Head position. Again, it's not bad, per se. But I find myself sometimes moving my head or lifting it up a bit more than I want. So, down it goes & that's definitely something that can improve.

  

  What a great place to train!

Bike: 

• SLD. Single leg drills on trainer for full use of pedal stroke. 
• Pedaling. Focusing on quick, even pressure of pedal during rides & especially on hills 
• Less is more. For me, guilt free less cycling because I don't enjoy the pain. My scoliosis & cycling don't like each other.

Run:

• Ground contact time (GCT). It's too high! I've actually been having fun working on quicker, lighter steps.
• Cadence. My legs tend to want to go slow. Kind of goes along with GCT.
• Form. My form is good, but by paying very close attention to it as I run, I can tweak for the absolute best technique.
• Hills. Short quick hills to build fitness but not to tire me out.

Strength: 

• Heavier weight less reps. This is fun, which motivates me to do it!
• More sets on days I feel good. On days I'm not feeling well, still do it but less. Keeps things consistent.
• A third day on appropriate weeks. Which I'm loving!

Many of these have stats attached to them that I can clearly see progress on. 

My challenge for you is to instead of feeling discouraged about your progress, shift your focus and keep moving. You will see results, you might even find a renewed love of the sport!

Running on empty

My last blog post I talked about taking time off from races. It's been a tough year for this coach.

I'd like to elaborate a bit on what that means, then I'll give an update.

As a triathlete my general training schedule, depending on what phase I'm in, usually has three running sessions per week; one endurance run, one intensity & one fun run with my dog. I have two bike rides (endurance & intensity) & two to four swim sessions (one endurance & lots of technique. A few short swims). I take two days off every week, which means some days I do two disciplines in one day, & I take one week off per month. 

This is not an overly taxing schedule. This is also the general plan for me, as I

Me on far left with my triathletes I trained for
Honolulu Tri in May.
I wasn't able to do this race, my first year not
participating. What a great team!

always have to listen to my body. Sometimes those intensity sessions are quite short, and those endurance sessions end up being short too. Depends on my health that day and again, what phase of training.

But this year - meaning all of 2017 up through August, I had two run sessions that felt good. Like a normal person. Two. Two run sessions from January to August that I didn't feel encased in cement, lugging my body through each step. Two runs that I didn't have to mentally force my body to move. This is why I tell my clients if I can do it they can do it. 

This is not over training syndrome. This is chronic illness folks. It tries to suck every bit of joy in life from you, and it will if you let it. It tries to take what you love away, and it will if you let it. Which is why I willed my body to go & refuse to give up on the joy life brings. I always say God gave me an extra dose of zest for life because He knew I'd need it. I love my zest. I love my zest & I love triathlons.

My last race was the Ironman 70.3
Hawaii. I did the swim in the relay.
It. Was. Awesome. Don't set limits!

Please, before you say I should quit, understand that my doctors have told me the only reason I am not disabled is due to me taking supreme care of myself. Everyone else they've come across with the test numbers similar to mine HAVE BEEN DISABLED. Disabled, people. And here I am doing my thing. Praise God for giving me a love of health & fitness at an early age so it was already my lifestyle before I got sick!

So the remaining 2017 race season is for shorter, less intense workouts and no races. I'm keeping it under Z4 & no longer than 30 minutes. So far I've been quickly recovering from each session. I've got the rest of 2017 to go. We'll see what 2018 brings for this zesty coach and triathlete! One thing's for sure, I am not giving up on myself.

Listening to my body

It's hard for me to talk about my health problems. Maybe it's because they have never been able to pinpoint exactly what's wrong so I'm left with a vague explanation of what's happening. 

I think it's also because you never know the reaction you'll get when you mention chronic illness. When I first started having problems I ran into some people who had the attitude of 'you're making this up' or I got the feeling they somehow thought I brought it on myself. I guess from all the years of eating right & exercising...

So yes I still get anxious about discussing things. But I'm working on pushing past my comfort level to talk more about chronic illness. There's a lot of you that deal with it also on a daily basis, and I think it's important to stop feeling awkward about it is a good step.

In that light, I'd like to share my year. It's not been great for this coach. Not horrible but not great. I haven't felt well. A low to moderate level of just kinda miserable, very tired and spiraling. Around June my body was just physically exhausted. Now, this isn't workout exhausted and this isn't from over training. I want to be clear that I didn't become ill from working out. In fact, my doctor's haven't agreed on much but one thing they do agree on is keep exercising because it's been a life saver. 

I'm working on cadence & smooth pedal
stroke on my bike.

Since June's breaking point I made the decision to drop all races for the rest of 2017. I decided my body was telling me to break from specific training. This is the first since 1994 that I've taken the summer off from races. I'm due.

I'm still exercising but I'm keeping it shorter, lower intensity and going on how my body feel vs what my schedule says. However that doesn't mean I have to 'start over' when I'm ready. There's plenty I can do. I'm keeping it short but I can still improve on technique, skills & enjoy the swim bike run lifestyle.

I feel really good about listening to my body. In some ways having chronic illness helps because it forces you to learn and listen to your body. In that sense, I'm blessed...in a way...

I don't know if they'll ever figure out what's wrong with me. But until then I'm focused on leading the best life possible and I hope to inspire others to do the same. 

Please feel free to contact me if you need to talk to someone about chronic illness. Sometimes just a listening ear from another person that understands makes things better. - coach Emily Collins

Chronic illness & life

Ok, let me tell you that this (see picture) is true. If you have chronic illness too you know that. But I also want to finish the story.

I've dealt with chronic illness for about 13 years. It's always there, it changes your normal. Sure. But you can still have a wonderful life filled with goodness, love, adventure, dreams. You can live with the "monster" always right there, threatening you, or you can choose to live each moment to its fullest, whatever that means each moment. Your illness doesn't have to be your identity! You may need to reassess a few things, make a few adjustments but that's ok!

You may have days that you mourn your old life or what you thought life would be like now, and that's ok too! Take those days. But *enjoy* the good days. Don't allow the illness to ruin your good days by looking at it in your peripheral vision. Try not to allow people who don't understand you get you down. They won't understand unless they have illness too, know that & remember just because they don't get it, it doesn't mean you should feel bad about yourself. They may act or think you're crazy. You're not.

Look straight at God. Give him your pain, your fears. Tell it to him, scream it if you need to. On really tough days, cry. Be angry. It's ok! And then let go. Allow peace that can only come from God to enter your heart. Keep hope knowing this is only reality for here, not for eternity. Never give up on yourself. Keep striving for better health because if you give up, it's over & it'll get worse. It's worth it. You are worth it!

This comes from someone who Dr's say should be disabled, but who instead is blessed because she didnt give up on herself, to run marathons, triathlons & her own business helping others reach their potential. - coach Emily

From the coach: I believe in your dreams

I've been thinking a lot about the few months ahead of me. I'll be going to the Big Island to watch my husband participate in his first Ironman 70.3 in June. So much has changed in the past few years, and this is where it's led us. I never dreamed this would be happening.

I remember how it started. We'd been doing sprint triathlons for a few years when we started coaching a group of beginners in Indiana. I hired my own coach, Mary, to help us with the swim portion. She's an amazing women, friend & mentor to me and I wanted our group to experience her training first hand. Even though Mary told me I knew more than I thought I did & I was capable of training the swim leg, I didn't believe it. At the time I had very little confidence in my swim coaching so having her guidance was an enormous benefit. 

One night after a swim session we were talking about an Olympic distance event I had been interested in. I flat out didn't believe that distance was ever in my future. Too long. Too scary. Too fatigued. Too much pain. No way.

Matt & I at the Honolulu Triathlon

Mary begged to differ. She looked at me and told me I could do that race, this year, and be perfectly fine. She then told my husband Matt he should do an Ironman 70.3. We chuckled, not believing in our abilities to do something seemingly out of reach.

But Mary believed in us. She told me something that changed my life. She said that I can't see it now because I've never done it, but I am capable of it. That I can trust her belief in me until I see for myself.

I don't know exactly why but that hit me right where I needed it, and I started believing I could do it.

You know what, I did do it. That year. I did it and was perfectly fine. More than fine, I loved it! 

My confidence grew simply because I had someone believe in me. She encouraged me to go for a goal that seemed ridiculous and out of reach. But it wasn't out of reach, I just thought it was. 

Since then I've taken on the swim coaching & have gotten really confident in it - it's actually my favorite piece of coaching. I've done many more triathlons (yes the longer distances along with shorter ones), added an IRONMAN Certified Coach (who'da thought that?!) to my credentials, Matt is finally getting to do his 70.3 after prepping & relocating before he could race twice and I'm going to do mine next season. 

Oh, and we've since done marathons, moved from Midwest to Arizona then to Hawaii, transitioned to swimming from pools to oceans (a transition I NEVER thought I'd accomplish). Yeah, things would be very different if we hadn't taken a few leaps of faith.

Matt after running his 1st marathon,
the Honolulu Marathon

My point here is not to gloat. My point is this: YOU can reach your goals too. Big goals - maybe that are just dreams now. HUGE giant, fluffy, crazy sounding dreams. 

Your dream might be to complete a 5k, lose weight, do a half/full marathon or complete your first triathlon. Whatever your dream looks like, don't allow the simple fact that you haven't done it before make you think you can never do it.

You CAN do it. I believe in you. No one else might believe you can, you might not believe you can, but that doesn't mean it's true. You may not see it, but I see it looking here from the other side. I know that if you focus your attention and start working toward that goal you will reach it. Yeah, you'll have to work for it (did I mention that?) but trust me, looking from the other side, it's worth every second. --Emily Collins

Chronic pain, fitness & triathlons

I have chronic pain, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, thyroid disease, a mysterious "floating virus" (whatever that means!), scoliosis among other things. Docs tell me 60% of my energy goes toward dealing with health issues. I gain weight easily, I don't gain muscle & I can get sick if I spend too much time standing, sitting or walking around (weird..) No one quite knows what's going on even after 10 plus years. I've come to accept that no one is going to truly know. 

But that doesn't define the whole me. I'm also a triathlon coach, personal trainer, yoga instructor, triathlete, marathon runner. 

You're looking at a VERY happy me
coming out of my 1st ocean swim triathlon

By the way, no I don't have health issues because I do these sports. I do these sports to STAY as healthy & strong as possible to fight illness. 

Yes, sometimes I ask why me. Sometimes I get discouraged. Sometimes I can't sleep because of pain. Some days I pray that this will all go away, even for a day so I can feel what it's like to be "normal." But my reality right now is this. Yours might be too.

If I could choose I would take optimal health in a heart beat of course. But I've come to realize blessings can come out of pain. 

Let me explain. Because I have pain I have empathy for others in pain. Because I have fatigue I understand how it feels when just getting out of bed is enough for the day. Because I swim bike & run while I have these issues I understand the frustrations others have when they feel like they'll never be able to become a runner, or the bike doesn't seem like a friend. Or when they want to quit because they're not seeing results they think they should be seeing. I get it! I've been there, which means I'm further along my journey & I can say "Stay hopeful because you're going to be ok!" 

This is me at my first marathon, something I never thought would happen.
Don't set limits!

If you're reading this & suffering, you are going to be ok! Here's a few things I've learned along the way that I'd like to share with you.

• No matter where you're at now you can always have better health. Forget comparing yourself to others or to what you think you should or could've been. Strive for a little bit better health, whether that's regular doctor visits, massages, eating better, exercising etc etc (or all of those). 
• Learn to love your body. After all, it's trying SO hard for you. Your body is not fighting against you even when it feels like it is. Your body is fighting for you so give it a break, love it as it is & take this time to take exceptional care of it.
• Along those same lines, learn what your body needs. Exercise regularly. Keep it gentle at first until Dr's ok it (I spent several months doing close to nothing then eased back into light exercise then slowly went back to swim bike run). Sleep as much as you need PLEASE, learn to say no, learn your body's cues & heed them, eat as healthy as possible, drink lots of water, be around positive friends that don't make you feel bad about being sick (yeah it happens & it sucks big time).
• Find doctors that are positive & encouraging. Don't settle for meanies, negative nellies or docs that act like you're crazy (yeah that happens too & it super sucks)! Do. Not. Settle.
• Never give up on your health. That may mean redefining a few things you thought your life would be like - but that's ok!
• But don't set limits. Just be smart about things & give yourself time. I didn't go from a diagnosis to running marathons. I spent a lot of time sleeping & gaining a very long drawn out process of building myself up. Then for me, I simply say I'll do this until my body says no. You may not be interested in triathlon or marathons & that's fine. But find something active that you love, that gives you energy back & brings you a little further toward better health. 
• Don't lose joy. Pray. Praise. Worship & be grateful for what you have. Stop thinking about what you don't have. Celebrate God's involvement in your life & know He has good things planned for you.
• Never ever ever give up on yourself. It's going to be ok! (did I mention that already?)  -- Emily Collins

It's ok to quit

You might be surprised to hear me say this but it's ok to quit.  Quitting doesn't mean you're a quitter.  

Surprised to hear a fitness & triathlon coach say that?  Let me share a short story.  

When I was five I joined a kids softball group, but I joined late.  The coach was one of those people that didn't believe in review so I was thrown into something that I'd never done before (hello, five years old.  I'd never played organized softball) and I had absolutely no idea what was going on.  I hated everything about it, and not just because I was confused.  It just wasn't my thing.  So my parents let me quit after a few days, no big deal really.  Except to a relative that got wind of this.  She called me up to tell me I "was a quitter."

I was devastated.  This was my beloved relative.  It broke my heart & for decades I had a complex about being a quitter.    

Me at my first marathon

I know better now.  I'm not a "quitter."  But I do quit.  I quit things that I find don't fit into the lifestyle I want to lead.  I quit things if it affects my health or spirituality, and I quit my fitness regimen if it's not working...and I feel great about it.  

Last year I was supposed to run a marathon.  My training from the start wasn't right.  My body wasn't responding, I was tired all the time & I could feel things just weren't right.  So I quit!  I could have pushed through.  I could have forced my body to do the distance.  But at what cost?  Sure it's nice to cross the finish line of a big race but is it worth it if you do that at the expense of future races?  I knew if I kept going it would prolong the body's ability to adapt to training, causing my upcoming triathlon to suffer, and who knows when the snowball would stop rolling.  Not worth the cost.  

So I quit, took some time to do light exercise so my body felt healthy again and now I'm right back on schedule for a great 2016 race year.  I'm feeling good & looking forward to my triathlon in May.

I urge you to quit!  Not always, of course.  Quit when your body asks you to rest. Quit if you don't enjoy something.  Listen to your body - always - not the voice in your head & not to the person who doesn't know what your body needs.  Remeber: quitting something is very different than being a quitter.  - Emily Collins, Ironman Certified Coach, ITCA certified triathlon coach, ACE personal trainer & NESTA certified sports yoga instructor

Triathlon training: get the right bike

I was finally convinced to get a new carbon fiber bike for my triathlon training & I'm loving it!  

My 2016 Cannondale Synapse 105

After researching & test riding several bicycles I chose Cannondale Synapse 105. 

Here's why my new bike was the right choice for my triathlon training: 
It has a slight upright sit but you can also get low to race.  Most triathletes want to get low for more aerodynamics.  I can do this but the way the construction is, I have some options. 

The fork & down tube design is shock absorbing. It's a nice, comfy & 'soft' ride for many miles. 

Immediately when I tested this bike it felt like someone had made it specifically for me.  No pain. Perfect fit.  Wonderful!

Cycling can be painful for me because of spine & other health issues so I think this ride will be a good fit to help me stay in the saddle. 

MORAL: get what YOU need. 

Test, research, ask questions & get what bike fits your needs. Comfort is key, everything else starts from there. Happy riding! - Coach Emily

Never too late to get healthy

My in laws periodically send me pictures of their dinners. They're working hard at a healthier lifestyle and I'm so proud of them. It's nice we can share this since we're so far apart (Indiana/Hawaii).

A few years back my father in law had some heart troubles and has gluten intolerance. My mother in law also has had some health concerns. So they're serious with the food and being more active. 

She exercises almost every day on her treadmill and does bodyweight exercises. He walks outside a lot. They both enjoy cooking so finding healthy updates to their favorite recipes has been a great bonding experience for them - and built in support. 

I think this is a beautiful example of how it's never too late to take healthy changes. 

Everyone can become healthier, even after a diagnosis. If you're in a situation like this remember that you can still lead a healthier lifestyle. Get support, get educated about your disease and start taking the necessary today steps to become healthier. You can do it! 

Living with chronic illness

My yoga mat & foam roller are life savers for me. As you may know, I have suffered from scoliosis, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, adrenal fatigue, a mysterious "floating virus" & a number of other chronic health issues. It took SIX long, miserable years just to get a diagnosis, and even now some Dr's don't recognize them as 'real.' 

Some days I have so much pain I have to cancel everything. It takes an emotional toll & it affects day to day living.

But the good news is that even though it does affect me, by making some adjustments I still lead a rich full life.

I still sometimes mourn over what has been taken & it's important to allow those feelings. But I also rejoice because I look over the many blessings God has poured on me through this. He has given me a natural love for fitness & healthy eating that I started at age 9 and have kept all this time. What a wonderful gift because if I had given up on my health I would be so much worse.

My docs tell me that with the level my issues are I should be disabled, very very ill and obese (these usually cause weight gain). Wow. Yet I can healthily run marathons, triathlons & everything in between. They tell me to KEEP DOING IT because whatever I've been doing has been my saving grace from really bad times.

I have to be extremely careful with my training because I have limited energy (they say 60% of my energy goes towards fighting these illnesses) & my body doesn't adapt as a normal body does. But I've learned to maximize every little bit I have & enjoy what I do all the more. It's made me a better trainer because I can do the same for others & have a perspective I otherwise wouldn't.
Yoga & foam rolling is many times the only thing that helps with pain. I also get chiropractic adjustments & massage which is wonderful.

I'm thankful I became a trainer so I can encourage others toward bettering their health. It's important to me and I hope that by sharing my story it inspires you to strive for better health, wherever you are. You CAN be at a better place even if you have had injury or illness. Never give up on yourself. You are worth the effort! - Emily Collins, owner of OnTrack Fitness www.ontrackfitness.net