Running Helps Our Mental State

I was just talking to one of my running friends about this topic when it came up on a blogpost I just read - running helps our mental state!

If you are a runner or any sort of fitness enthusiast . . . it really is true . . . your fitness activity helps your mental fitness as well.  I don't know that I would know what to do if I couldn't identify some fitness actitivy to help keep me fit and sane.

The irunfar.com blog recently featured some reflections on this issue.  See if they match up with your perception of running and fitness.

Bored? Here's Help

It can be pretty easy to get bored with your workouts once you hit a plateau.

It's important to look toward ways to challenge yourself with new activities when you feel yourself getting bored.  This article that appeared recently in the Des Moines Register offers some tips on how to mix things up.

Creating longer-term plans . . . consulting a trainer . . . cross-training - these are all ways to get started down the road of keeping yourself off the "bored" track.

Will be taking a break from posting while traveling.

Log Your Miles

Do you keep record of your fitness?

This post from The Happy Runner blog reminded me how important it is to keep a record of your workouts.  During any day or week, I can go back and find out what I did.  Logging your activities is particularly important when you are training for a particular event.

I still use the notebook to log my miles, but keeping track of your fitness has become a lot easier with gadgets from Garmin, Nike and Polar.  It's also amazing to learn about the apps that are available at low or little cost that will do a great job of keeping track for you like MapMyTracks or Runtastic.

Foods That Prevent Inflammation

Did you know there are foods that fight inflammation?

Check out this post on www.sparkpeople.com to learn about some of the berries, vegetables and other foods that help reduce the onset of inflammation of the muscles. 

90-Year Old Triathlete

Here is a little inspiration . . . a video of a 90-year-old triathlete.

Can you imagine doing a triathlon at 90 years old?  I imagine the odds would be pretty tough, which is why this is pretty inspiring. 

Check out the video from www.active.com to see how Dr. John Taylor finishes to become USA Triathlon's first certified 90-year-old to finish a regulation event.  He completed the event last April and he takes a pretty nasty fall toward the finish.

Body Handling Heat, Humidity

Your body is an amazing machine!

Read this post from the Runner Dude's blog to learn more about how the body responds to heat and humidity.  It's an interesting post. It also examines how you can adjust your expectations as your body adjusts to extreme hot and humid calendars.

Different Kinds Of Runs

Bet you didn't know there were eight different types of running workouts.

Check out this post from the Carrots 'n Cake blog.  It lays out how each running workout is structured.  What is a "base" run or what is a "recovery" run?  Learn all about it here.