Do It To It!

Hello friends and HAPPY NEW YEAR!  So it's the new year and I don't know about you, but I ate a LOT of cookies at Christmas.  This is the time of year where gyms reap the harvest of new members that will show up for a month or so and slowly trickle off.

 I think it's a great idea to get in shape but instead of making is a phase, make it a lifestyle change!  I've found one of the best ways to make a lifestyle change towards fitness is to challenge yourself in a new way!

My Zumba classes have never looked this psychedelic! 

1. Try something new!  Whether it be kickboxing, zumba, swimming or spin...try it all! You may be surprised at what you like.

Cyclocross. I need to borrow a bike.

Fun?

My Goal: This year I plan on trying Cyclocross and if I am daring enough...a Crossfit class.  I have never been able to do a pull up and quite frankly, it gives me nightmares of Elementary School P.E. state tests where we had to try to do pull ups in front of the rest of the class.

2. Sign up for a race.  Seriously, this is one of the best ways to stay in shape.  Plus, you usually fine buddies and training buddies keep you accountable.  I have made many new friends through the process!  If you have never done a race before, start with a 5k.  There are several newbie programs around the Metro.  Off the top of my head I know Red Coyote has a newbie sign up right now.  You can also learn a lot from running groups like RunHers and LandRunners.  If you have done races before, try a different type of race like a bike race/long group ride or a triathlon.  I learned almost everything I know about group riding from The Oklahoma Bicycle Society.  If you are interested in triathlons, attend a TriOKC meeting!  The best part about these groups is that nearly everyone is friendly and more than happy to help you along.  I mean, we all had to start somewhere, after all!  And of course, support our local economy by shopping at our wonderful local bike and running shops.  These people know what they are doing and will help prevent you from getting injured!

If you regularly workout and want to try a new physical challenge, I would urge you to check out "Team in Training."  This organization launched me into the endurance world about a year and half ago and I haven't look back ever since!  Team in Training aka TNT offers hundreds of races across the globe year round including a marathon in Spain, century ride around Lake Tahoe and the OKC Redman Half Ironman Triathlon.  I initially joined for 2 reasons: 1. I wanted someone to help me along the way because I had no idea how to even start training for a half Ironman! 2. For a great cause.  The experienced and knowledgeable coaches will help you push your body and mind to limits you never knew you could reach, you'll make new friends and you'll raise money for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  Sounds awesome right? Give it a try!  Click here for more information on our local chapter of TNT.

My Goals: I have not set my races yet but I do know that I am doing my first Memorial Marathon experience by doing the half-marathon.  I hope to do a marathon one day but not this year.  This is the last year to compete in my age group and I want to focus on speed and possibly winning a few races.  I am going to do the half and work on my running time.  If you've read this blog before you know that running is not my favorite due to knee pain so this will definitely be a personal challenge!  I have no idea how to even do speed work and I have never practiced on a real track.  I will fill you in along the journey!

I also know that I want to do my first Century ride this year.  Cycling has really grown on me and last year I set a new milestone at 71 miles.  I am thinking about doing the Tour de Cure's new 100 mile option but June may not give me enough time to train. I also need to invest in new cycle shorts and possibly a new saddle so my butt won't hurt!

3. Eat Healthy.  I know, this is the cliche thing to do this time of year...start off with some massive diet and then drop out after a few weeks. I'm not talking about dieting, I am talking about a healthy lifestyle.  I generally try to eat healthy but I have a few weaknesses.  Specifically, chips and queso and chocolate covered peanuts from Walgreens.  If I do splurge, I make sure to tack on extra workout time to burn it off.

I have found from personal experience that the only way to truly be aware of what you are eating is by keeping a food diary.  This makes you more aware of what you are putting in your body and how many calories you are consuming.  I am not a nutritionist or doctor by any means, but I did take a bunch of math in college and I know that if you burn more calories than you consume in a day, you will lose weight. Please see a true professional before trying anything drastic.  In terms of tracking what you eat, I've really enjoyed the "MyFitnessPal" app on your phone.  It's free and it does a great job of calculating the calories needed each day to help you reach your weight goals.  It's also very user friendly.

Another way to stay healthy is to cook.  When you cook you know exactly what is going into your food and gain a greater respect for what you are eating.  I love to cook!  I have posted some of my favorite healthy foods to inspire you! Yum! Here are a few great websites for healthy eating...and these prove that healthy foods don't have to taste nasty.
1.  Eating Well (I subscribe to this one.  Thanks, Aunt Liz!)
2.  Cooking Light 
3.  U.S.A. Today's archive of Easy, Low-Calorie Recipes
4. Explore the web! There are so many more sites!

My Goals: I'd like to cook more often and continue being aware of what I'm putting into my body.  I am reading "The Paleo Diet."  I am not 100% on board but I might start leaning towards this type of lifestyle to see how it makes me feel.  I will explain this whole thing in a future entry but if you'd like a sneak peak click here.

Thanks for reading and cheers to a healthy and happy 2013!