I had the privilege of running six miles with Dan Finanger this morning. Dan served as executive race director of the Twin Cities Marathon from 2000 to 2004, and himself ran 20 marathons in 20 years. A natural coach and great story-teller, Dan knows how to motivate people. He was just the right person for me to run with as I begin my training for this year’s Marine Corps Marathon (October 2011). [Read more…]
Meet Coach Dan… “I Can Do This”!
July 14, 2011 by 5 Comments
Do We Need to Exercise More as We Get Older?
June 13, 2011 by Leave a Comment
A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows women need 60 minutes a day of moderate exercise to prevent weight gain as they age if they consume a normal diet. This is an increase in exercise time from the current guidelines of 30 minutes five days a week of moderate to intense activity. I don’t know about you, but this seems like a lot! That’s seven days a week! But it really isn’t the whole story. [Read more…]
Dynamic Stretching…Best for Pre-Workout
May 17, 2011 by Leave a Comment
What is the first thing many people do before they go for a run or begin a workout? Stretch! This has been drilled into our thinking. If there were deadly sins of running, not stretching would be on the top of the list. It is common to see runners standing, holding one foot behind them, stretching their quads, or sitting on the ground doing a hamstring stretch. We have been told to hold the stretch for 15-90 seconds, and not to bounce. These kind of stretches are known as static stretches, and they are what we have been taught to do. As a runner, I have never been very disciplined about stretching, and so I was interested in what many coaches and trainers are now saying is a better kind of pre-workout warm up. Some people call it dynamic stretching, and if you show up at a track meet or a basketball game these days, you will likely see athletes continuously moving rather than staying in one place stretching before competition. [Read more…]
You Say You Don’t Have Time for Workout? Sure You Do!
April 20, 2011 by 4 Comments
I hear from people all the time who say they don’t have time to workout. I am not one to doubt someone’s word, but I think there are plenty of opportunities to squeeze in a workout if we are creative…and committed.
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Like Love, Exercise is a Decision
April 11, 2011 by 4 Comments
James and I first heard the words, “Love is a decision” from a Catholic priest about five years after we were married. It was a bit of a paradigm shift. Even in the pre-marriage class we attended, we could not remember hearing that concept. However, after only five years of marriage, we both knew the truth of those words.
In the early years of our married life, we still relied on good “old-fashioned love”. We figured that is what would sustain us through inevitable hard times. And good times, too. Our immature hearts would trump our rational brains into believing that love is a feeling, always there, always reliable. But by the time we heard those words, like most married couples, the honeymoon was over, and the reality of three children, a mortgage, and the everyday stresses of life had taken its place. At this point the decision to love seemed like an idea worth exploring. [Read more…]
Move…Now!
April 5, 2011 by Leave a Comment
MOVE is a word my sister-in-law is thinking about lately. I talked to her a few weeks ago on the phone and she told me that word is on her mind because she has decided to make it her axiom. It is her rallying cry to get her to …well…to Move.
Maybe we all need a little motto to do the things that we really don’t want to do. For her, it is making time for fitness. Whether lifting some free weights or going for a walk, she has decided that she needs to stop the excuses and get moving. So throughout the day she thinks …Move!
It made me wonder, what word could motivate me to do things I really don’t want to do? Could one word challenge me in the same way that the word move challenges my sister-in-law? I thought about it. I am a procrastinator. Whether it is the laundry piling up, the call to the insurance company I need to make, or getting the dogs to the vet, if I can put it off till later, I will! I use the excuse that I am too busy… I can’t possibly get to that now. The truth is that I will be “too busy” for a long time! So I have decided that my one-word motto is NOW. Get the laundry done Now. Call to make an appointment Now. Clean that closet Now. I am beginning to think there might be a little drill sergeant that tiny word!
What is your motto? Can you come up with one word that will challenge you to do something you know you should do, but don’t really want to? Share it with us!
Running for Life!
March 31, 2011 by 9 Comments
Even before I became a runner, running was a part of my family’s life. I can remember early Sunday mornings when my dad would return home from his weekend 12-mile run. My sisters’ and I would greet him with a tall glass of iced tea. We would stand back and wait for him to finish the glass in one gulp, and then give us the “Lipton Iced Tea, ‘Ahhhhhh!'” To me, that “Ah” was the reward for hard work.
When I think about all the years of running I’ve logged, I realize there have been different seasons in my life that have allowed for various levels of effort. Through it all, though, there has been a certain satisfaction that is the natural result of hard work. After I got married and we had our first two children, I enjoyed racing and pushing myself. I had the benefit of youth on my side (although I know I didn’t truly appreciate it then), and could run a lot of miles pushing a baby jogger. Running mostly 10Ks, I was able to train hard and I even squeezed out a sub 40-minute 10K for a personal best. I would often meet a friend of mine, Greg, at a track near the hospital where he worked, to do interval training. I recall one workout he named “Zeus” after doing it with a man that was more like a Greek god than a human! Those days I could manage tough workouts without feeling totally zapped of my energy the rest of the day. [Read more…]
Quote of the Week: Always Upward!
March 28, 2011 by 12 Comments
Quote of the Week: Verso l’Alto…Always Upward! Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati
I have always been fascinated by Pope John Paul II. What many people don’t know about this incredible man of God, is that he was a fine athlete and outdoorsman as well. Even during the early years of his papacy, John Paul II was hiking, swimming, and running. He was criticized, in fact, for jogging in the Vatican Gardens, since tourists could see him from the top of the dome of St. Peters. When he was questioned about the cost of installing a pool so he could swim laps in the summer, he said, “It’s cheaper than a new conclave”. [Read more…]
Born To Run
March 26, 2011 by 2 Comments
If you have not had the pleasure of reading Christopher McDougall’s Born To Run, I highly recommend you indulge in the experience. And it is an experience! Part cultural anthropology, part running physiology, part fitness, part anatomy, and part philosophy, Born To Run is one of my favorite books. You definitely don’t have to be a runner to enjoy the book. My only warning is that you might not want to put it down, so schedule your reading of the book accordingly! It is one of those story’s that you are sad to finish. Even my 16 year-old finished the book in a few days. Following is a link to Christopher McDougall’s website: Christopher McDougall
9 Kid Fitness on WBT Radio!
March 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment
9 Kid Fitness was featured on WBT Radio’s “Health Headlines” show on Sunday, March 13, 2011! Listen to the 8-10 minute segment to hear Whitney (that’s me) interviewed by the “Bod Squad” (Stacy Simms, Alan Tyson, and Dr. Russ Greenfield).
The weekly Sunday radio show with the Bod Squad features important health issues and trends that affect families.
During the interview we discuss the 9 Kid Fitness website, pelvic floor issues, and ways that busy moms can stay fit. Click on the link below and go to the 3/13 radio show. The segment begins at the 10:00 mark. Thanks for listening, and let me know what you think!
9 Kid Fitness on WBT Radio
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