Archive for the ‘Training’ Category

I hope to pass along articles I think will be beneficial to my readers when ever I come upon one. Spring is here and summer is just around the corner which means many of you are experiencing rising temperatures. I want to begin discussing training safely in heat by featuring an article my Jeff Galloway. Galloway discusses changes needed in your training program as the temperature rises outside.

Here’s a taste:

After much study, and collecting data from the over 250,000 runners I’ve worked with, I’ve found that in marathons, runners tend to slow down 30 seconds a mile for every 5 degrees above 60F. On long runs, it is best to slow down at least this much to avoid heat stress, and speed up your recovery… Continue reading.

Today I had my treadmill class run/walk a 5k on a treadmill. We would run or quick walk the “flat ground” and walk the “hills”. Own a treadmill? Try this fun and effective workout.

On the flat ground- take incline on treadmill to 0-2 if running; if walking keep it at an incline of 2

5 minute warm-up (incline treadmill to 2)

5 minute run or quick walk

3 minute hill walk (incline of 5, pace should be moderate)

1 minute recovery (incline of 2, slow pace by two decimals and get a drink if needed)

5 minute run or quick walk

3 minute hill walk (incline of 5, pace should be moderate)

1 minute recovery (incline of 2, slow pace by two decimals and get a drink if needed)

5 minute run or quick walk

2 minute hill walk (incline of 7, pace should be moderate)

1 minute recovery (incline of 2, slow pace by two decimals and get a drink if needed)

5 minute run or quick walk

2 minute of hill walk (incline of 9, pace should be moderate)

1 minute recovery (incline of 2, slow pace by two decimals and get a drink if needed)

5 minute cool-down and stretch (return treadmill to 0 incline)

Have you ever wanted to run or walk a 5k, 10k, half marathon, or full but didn’t have the motivation to keep going? For the next 17 weeks I hope to help you -we are going to train together! Here’s how it will work:

1. 1. Register on my site by entering your information on the contact form or emailing me directly at trillfitness@gmail.com. Write Let’s Train in the subject line. Give me your name, address and email address.
2. 2. Begin your training by choosing your training program. We will be using Jeff Galloway’s half marathon training program but you can choose to do the 5 or 10k or if you’re really ambitious you can choose the entire marathon!
3. 3. Keep a log of all of your running by using the form you’ll receive once you register. For accountability you can choose to email your form back to me or a friend each Friday or save it for your own benefit and records.
4. 4. Choose a road race to participate in. Find a road race in your city or surrounding area  to participate in. If you do not have a half marathon near you, run a 5k.
5. 5. At the end of 17 weeks you will let me know how you did and where you ran your race.

Why Register?

PRIZES will be awarded to those who register through drawings and various other events. Prizes and events will be announced later.

Accountability and encouragement! Training “with” someone or a group is a wonderful motivator. Even if we are not running side by side you will know that you (and several others from around the globe) are running “together”.  We won’t know if you are not registered.

My Personal Journal and Suggested Reading

Every other Friday, beginning next week, I’ll be blogging about my training experience. You’ll get an honest look into training for a marathon including triumphs and failures, good days and bad as it relates to training.  At the beginning of April I will begin a series on a new book Are You Fit for Life? by Jack Graham, published by Crossway Books. I look forward to sharing more about this book soon. If you would like to join me in reading Are You Fit for Life? you can preorder the book by clicking here.

Let’s Train!

Remember to Register (send me an email)! Did I mention- it’s FREE!

Questions? Read Frequently Asked Questions or contact me.

You may find Road Races through: Road Runners Clubs of America, Active.com, USA Track & Field

In light of Veteran’s Day I thought we’d do a little boot camp training! I have enlisted two real life soldiers to help me. On Friday we’ll have the privilege of learning from Travis Maples (Navy) and Matt Carr (Army) about their military training and exercises. But before we hear from the real boot camp experts let’s take a look at some exercises that you might see in a civilian boot camp or circuit training class.

Let’s Train:

I taught a circuit training/athletic class. Here is an example of what you might have done in that class:

Perform each exercise one right after another with only a 15 second break for 3 rotations. On the first rotation do each exercise for 30 seconds. On the second and third rotation do each exercise for one minute without stopping and break for 30 seconds if needed.

1. Jump Jacks

2. Push Ups- modify if necessary (on knees)

3. Side to Side (jump side to side like you are jumping over an object. Land softly and     bend at the knee).

4. Triceps Dip

5. Ski Run (move arms and legs back and forth in a skiing motion)

6. High knees (if high knees are uncomfortable try jogging in place)

7. Squats

8. Burpees or side to side (you perform a burpee starting from a standing position. Bend with your knees all the way to the ground- hands touching the floor, pull your feet out into a pushup position, bring knees back into chest and stand. This is all done in one fluid motion.)

9. Lunges (alternate legs)

10. Biceps

11. Abdominal crunches

 12. Stretch at the very end

Remember to consult a physician before starting any fitness program.

As a reminder I am going to repost part of the question I received from a reader that sparked this series of discussions: 

 I was wondering if you could recommend some exercises or routines that larger gals could do. I try to walk sometimes but I give out way to easy. And some of these exercises you see on TV in stuff, there is no way a larger girl can do some of those things. I use to be in good shape back when I was playing softball but I have always been large my whole life. Anything you could recommend would be appreciated.”

You are right, there are some things that you see on TV that even the average person could not do without some serious training. And If you are a fan of the television show The Biggest Loser, understand that the contestants are supervised by physicians and are in a controlled environment.  I have been on a reality show (my husband and I were on Grounds For Improvement remodeling our deck)  and they shoot scenes several times and yes some things are rehearsed. So what do you do at home when there are not a dozen or so people pushing you to work hard and shed those pounds whether for TV ratings or for health? Here are a few ideas to help you begin an exercise program and stick with it to the end:

Accountability

Ask a friend, coworker, or family member to help you. You might ask them to call you in the morining to help you rise early so you can fit exercise in your day. You could ask them to call or email you every week to get a report of how you are doing. I can assure you that having accountability will help you to stick with it. The key is finding someone who won’t be afraid to challenge you, so pick wisely!

Get Up and Move

No more excuses! The coach is coming out of me. Really, we can excuse our way out of everything. Get up and move! If you could see me or if I could train you I would smile and share this gently. All jokes aside, the more you exercise and the more you fit it in your schedule, the easier it will become. You may never love to exercise but it will become easier to do. My advice is to train your body to train.

Let’s Train

Consult a physician before beginning any fitness program!

Walking: 

Last month I did a series on walking. I suggest revisiting that information and begin with walking. If you are in the Knoxville area Lakeshore Park is a wonderful place to walk because of the variations of inclines and straight aways. It is about a two or so mile trail that will surely get your heart pumping! If you can not get there walk around your neighborhood, in the mall, or on a treadmill if one is available to you. Walking is a safe, low-impact start to any fitness program.

Weight Training:

 If you have small weights at home or have access to a gym, I would start with light weights and do high repetitions. For example: using five pound weights you may do three sets of 15 for each muscle group (biceps, tricepts, chest flys, reverse flys- for back). You can take those same weights and place them on your shoulders and do squats (three sets of 15). End your work out with 30 crunches and stretching. For safety information and more examples of exercise you can check out the weight training section of this blog.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me and I will be happy to assist you.

Enjoy your workout!

Earlier I had mentioned that I am currently doing a Bible study at home called The Lord’s Table sponsored by Setting Captives Free. I have thoroughly enjoyed my 60 day study and look forward to continuing on in the mentorship program. I hope to spend sometime in the near future sharing what I have learned with you and introducing you to that wonderful ministry. Today I wanted to share a little from one of our lessons pertaining to exercise.

“….for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” I Timothy 4:8 (ESV)

Training our body is of some value! No, it’s not the most important, “for godliness is of value in every way”, but it is of some value and therefore worth attention. I share this with you because I have a biblical conviction that it is important to care for our health. It is of some value. Where we get in trouble is when we place too much importance on our outer appearance. The Girl Talkers in their book Shopping for Time elaborate, “…If exercise is crowding out our time with the Lord, or if we are more passionate about health food than the gospel or more concerned with staying thin than serving others, then our physical body should cease to be our primary focus,” (Shopping for Time, p. 60). As with all things, there is a temptation to make exercise or our outward appearance an idol (an object of our worship). We want to fight this temptation.

In contrast we may struggle with laziness.

The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road!There is a lion in the streets!”14 As a door turns on its hinges,so does a sluggard on his bed.15 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth.16 The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly. Proverbs. 13-16 (ESV)

Here is commentary about this verse from The Lord’s Table lesson 33:

“We notice from verse 13 above that a lazy person often makes up a reason to stay in his laziness (a lion in the road). This supposed “lion” is an invention of his own imagination (during the daytime when men should be at work, lions are in their dens–Psalm 104:22-23), and only an excuse for failing to do what he needs to do.”

It’s so easy to make excuses not to exercise. My favorite that I like to say when I just don’t feel like exercising is, “It’s too cold outside.” What? It’s too cold outside. Then don’t exercise outside. What I am really saying is, “I’d rather stay snuggled up to this couch and lay here.” Rest is needed so I am not saying we should not rest. Often I know when I need to rest and when I’m just being lazy.

But thanks be to God that He died for the lazy and the idolater! Jesus Christ died on the Cross bearing all sins and all the wrath of God. If you are a Christian ask God for help, repent of your sin, and receive His amazing grace. If you are not a Christian I would encourage you to review this presentation of the gospel by clicking here. Then find a friend or pastor and share with them!

Today we are continuing our discussion on the topic of walking and running. My latest post encouraged you to train for a 5K and included training programs. Today we have the opportunity of hearing from one of Knoxville’s elite runners and trainers, and one of the featured trainers from Run/Walk 5K Training- Missy Kane.
Let’s get into the interview…
How long have you been running?

Since I was 18 years old more or less, less lately ha.

You are a seasoned marathon runner; what advice would you give to someone who is not a regular runner but would like to run a marathon (or any race)?

Give yourself 4 weeks of easy building up from 2 days a week to maybe 4 days a week walking/running then every weekend or every other up your long effort by a mile to 1.5 miles. So if your long run/walk is 3 miles then next week 4 miles maybe next week 4.5 then next week 5.5 then next week maybe stay same distance then next week 6.5 to 7 miles etc. That way you are gradually getting your long effort up, and the other 3-4 days of workouts could mix between 30 minutes of jogging/fast walking 2 days then 1 or 2 days another low impact workout like elliptical 30-45 minutes etc

What do you eat before your long runs?

2 hours prior to 3 hours prior maybe banana and half of bagel. During long effort I’d drink water and some sports drink half and half and occasionally on real long efforts use a little goo at the same time as drinking. Or you could 1/2 or 1/4 banana on run// I would alternate 6 min jogging with 1 min fast walk the entire way. You can start by jogging 2-3 minutes with 1 min fast walk then gradually build up to more running less walking

What is your exercise regiment when you are not training for a marathon?I mix it up between hiking one day a week (when I can) to walking fast with dogs or 6 year old 30-50 minutes 2 x week, taping my fitness show usually 2 back to back once a week, and one day good hard bike ride of 20-40 miles.

Thank you, Missy, for taking time to share your running wisdom with us. We wish you continued success in your fitness endeavors.

More about Missy Kane

Missy Kane won a bronze medal in the 1,500-meter run at the 1983 Pan-American games and competed in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. She coached distance runners at the University of Tennessee for four years and teenage athletes at Central High School for five years. She was named Southeastern Conference Cross-Country Coach of the Year in 1990 and inducted into the Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame in 1996. She holds a master’s degree in exercise physiology and was a television anchor/reporter in Knoxville for eight years. She is especially interested in reaching adults who have never exercised before and in helping children learn to love physical exercise and fitness for a lifetime of good health…(click here to read more of Covenant Health’s Coach Kane’s Corner)

You can exercise with Missy Kane on Fit & Fun with Missy Kane on WETP-TV Channels 2 and 15 Monday through Friday at 7 a.m.

I love track and field sports and sporting events. I ran the 4×100, 4×200, 4×400 and 100 meter hurdles in high school- all short distance sprinting events. At times our coach would make the entire team run longer distances to build endurance. I hated it! I would try to figure out some way to get out of it, never worked, I had to run. It wasn’t until college that I began to enjoy running longer than one lap around a track! I began to jog with a girl friend of mine late at night. Now I would say I do enjoy longer distances, but sometimes I need an incentive to run them. Signing up for a 5K road race does the trick.

Each year the Knoxville Track Club assists several organizations and companies in hosting a road race. I actually hosted a 5K for Volunteers For Christ one year. I think I’ll just stick to running them. That was way too much work! Where ever you are living I can almost guarantee that you will be able to easily find a road race in or around your city. They are extremely prevalent. After the birth of my son, Weston, I decided that the only way I was going to get up and moving (a.k.a. exercise) was to pay for a race. So I looked for a race that was about 3 months away, paid for it, built a team of friends to run it with me so I couldn’t back out and began to train.

Training for a 5K

I’ll start by saying, I am not an expert in 5K races but I can give you some general guidelines and point you in the direction of some experts.

There are a few things to consider before starting a training program:

1) What is your current health condition?
Before starting any training program please consult your doctor.

2) Have you already been running or training?
If you have already been training, your workout regiment may be more accelerated. We all must access our level to know where to start. If you are looking for a 5K training program chances are you are not a trained runner and therefore you will probably need to start out slowly and work your way up. If you start out too quickly you may burn out, feel miserable and decide you hate running! Hopefully you’ll find the information you need here to train at a pace that will enable your body to adjust slowly.

3) Do you have the proper shoes?
I think good running shoes is a must! Proper shoes provide great protection from injury (foot, ankle, shin, shock absorption, etc.). I am not selling this product but I do enjoy and prefer anything made from New Balance.

Let’s Train!

Josh Clark posted a running guide that was perfect for me after the birth of my son called the The Couch-to-5K Running Plan. I liked it because I could train very slowly but continually challenged myself. I used his training program to get ready for my first 5K after Weston was born.

Jeff Galloway has offered a wonderful training program for the novice runner but can be used for the expert too. I used this training program to train for the Knoxville Marathon 10 K, which I didn’t end up getting to participate in.

A training program wouldn’t be complete without the advice of our local running expert Missy Kane. She has put together a training program for marathons and half marathons. Though this article is about 5K’s I do think you can benefit from reading her suggestions on running and training. I have had the privilege to do aerobics on her aerobics show and can personally endorse her as I have had a chance to interact with her on several occasions.

More Than Running

If you’ll notice on each training program there are walking intervals, resting periods, and what I really wanted to draw your attention to is circuit training! If you aren’t familiar with circuit training have no fear- I will be posting information on circuit training coming up in September!

So strap on those tennis shoes and sign up for a road race!