Inspiring Story

I enjoy sharing inspiring stories others have shared.

This is a story from the Everymom To Ironmom blog. It confirms a point I often make - you CAN do a triathlon. In fact, it's amazing to hear the backgrounds of the many people who participate in triathlons and complete them.

Read this story about a woman who wanted to compete in a triathlon following the birth of her three children. It's certainly food for inspiration if you're thinking about competing in a triathlon yourself. It can be done!

Battling The Bulge This Winter

We're turning the corner on the holidays, so now it's time to be serious about battling the bulge this winter.

Most folks let up on their training activities in the winter months. Most of us also tend to "let go" during the holidays with poor eating habits.

The www.evertymantri.com blog has three candid recommendations to avoid adding weight this winter. By eating carbs early in the day, staying hydrated and consuming healthy fats; you can work toward eliminating the winter bulge.

20-Minute Workouts

Low on time for a workout?

This often seems to be an issue for busy athletes.

Matt Fitzgerald writes in this post on www.triathlete.com about the value of a 20-minute workout, as sometimes we think, "20 minutes? Why bother?"

Additionally, he has some great suggestions for different 20-minute routines.

I'm going to be taking some time off for the holidays. See you soon.

Resisting Holiday Candy Cravings

I dug up this post about dealing with resisting Halloween treats, but the issues are the same during the holiday season.

Holiday candy cravings are heavy during this time of the year. It can be difficult resisting the urge because you think "just one little piece of candy" won't make a difference, but it adds up.

Try using gum or low-calorie hot chocolate to ease these cravings. You can check out Christine Luff's post from www.about.com to learn more about strategies to reduce your urges to consume holiday candy.

Mobile Phone Can Be Tool For Weight Loss

Did you ever think your mobile phone could be used as a tool for weight loss?

According to a recent study, mobile phones can be be used as powerful tools in the battle to lose weight.

The study conducted at the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University showed that students who used their mobile phones to monitor calories and physical activity, and got personalized feedback, lost significantly more weight than those who didn’t.

”Cellphones are a powerful intervention tool for weight loss,” says lead researcher Melissa Napolitano of the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University in Philadelphia. She reported findings last week at a meeting of the Obesity Society.

Check out this article from USA Today to see if you can use your mobile phone to help with your weight loss activities.

Coming Home

At what time of the day are you most stressed?

Think about it. More than likely it is the time of day when you've faced the most issues, you're the most tired and you're likely the most hungry. All of these factors lead to the end of the day when many folks greet their spouses after work.

I found a recent article by Elizabeth Bernstein in the Wall Street Journal to be very thought-provoking on this topic. Essentially, it's often hard for us put the "honey" back in "Honey, I'm home" when we're tired, hungry and irritable about the day's past events. Let's face it, as the article points out, the days of wives greeting their husbands at the door with a martini have gone the way of the "pet rock".

The article is helpful in providing some helpful insight and strategies toward making your "coming home" to your spouse a less stressful and a more enjoyable experience.

Improve Pull Technique

Are you looking for an "edge" to improve your swim stroke?

Kevin Koskella recently did a post on triswimcoachonline.com on two drills you can do to improve your stroke skills. The first drill focuses on the elbows and the second drill focuses on strength.

Take a look at these drills and how they might be able to help you move up through the pack in the swim portion of your next event.

Be Positive

Are you a positive person? Do you think "good" thoughts?

Perhaps this sounds a little "naive" or "idealistic", but when you think good thoughts, good things generally happen. I personally don't go seeking the negative in my life, particularly when it comes to fitness. Even if something doesn't go to plan, I review to identify what went wrong and how it can be corrected.

One of my good friends who just competed in a marathon recently told me how I was correct when I told him that so much of marathon training was "mental". I consistently shared with this person how to think positive thoughts and good results would ensue.

This "Develop Positivity" post from the Run To The Finish blog illustrates this point. It also shares some insight on how to keep your thinking positive.

More Exercise To Improve Balance

For most activities like swimming, biking and running, you can benefit from improved balance.

Justin Levine of JustinTrain.com writes how certain exercises done routinely can drastically improve balance, particularly in your lower extremities and core.

Balance is something you can develop to improve all aspects of your fitness life. See if Levine's tips help you improve your balance . . . and your performance.

Tips To Make Working Out Easier

No matter how much we enjoy working out, we've all wished it was easier to do.

Whether it's the ability to make the time to work out or lingering soreness, we can always find an excuse not to work out.

Nicole Nichols of the www.dailysparkblog.com recently wrote about some tips you can use to make fitness an easier proposition. Whether it's keeping a gym bag packed and ready to go, joining a gym on the route to where you work or periodically rewarding yourself for reaching milestones; these are all things you can do to make the process easier.

See how you can make your fitness endeavors easier.