10.31.08
November is National Diabetes Month
Now that we’ve made it through October and are one month closer to the end of 2008, I wanted to bring something to your attention.
Most people know that October is recognized at Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but how many know that November is National Diabetes Month?
We all know about the national obesity epidemic. What many people do not seem to realize is that along with obesity, there will be major health-related fall out from obesity-related diseases. One of those is type 2 diabetes and its complications.
According to the American Diabetes Association, 23.6 million children and adults in this country have diabetes, or 8% of the population. But that’s not the worst number. 57 million walk around undiagnosed everyday. There were 1.6 million new cases were diagnosed in adults 20 years or older in 2007.
So what does that mean for you and me?
Well, many of the new cases of type 2 diabetes are in children under the age of 18. That’s insane. We do not want to hand our children over to a very preventable disease.
Here’s what I suggest:
1. Make sure that you educate yourselves on how to prevent type 2 diabetes.
2. If you work with children or have children, be sure that they get at least 60 minutes of physical activity 5 days per week.
3. Support the American Diabetes Association and Laila Ali in raising $1 million during the month of November to Kiss Diabetes Goodbye.
4. Support Saucony’s Run for Good campaign to fight childhood obesity (more on that later).
What am I going to do?
1. Develop a workout program for kids that involves dance.
2. Finish my Youth Fitness Instructor certification.
3. Start a strength and conditioning program for cheerleaders and dancers.
4. Work on lots of other ideas I have for kids and fitness.
10.20.08
Happy Birthday Zac Efron!
By the way, I just wanted to say a happy belated birthday to one of our favorite actors, Zac Efron. Zac turned 21 this past Saturday and celebrated in mature style with girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens and other Disney stars in Los Angeles.
This picture above is from when I a red carpet photographer here in Baltimore for the 2007 Baltimore premiere of the movie “Hairspray.”
Back to My Workout
As some of you know, I ran last Saturday’s half-marathon as a part of the Baltimore Running Festival.
I also gave you some tips on how to recover from races and long workouts.
Now that my week of recovery is over, I’m glad I took the week off. Especially because yesterday was the competition performance for my 5-7 flag cheerleaders.
We traveled to Waldorf, Maryland for the competition and my girls performed second. They weren’t actually competing because flag teams just perform. I was so proud of my girls because they did their routine so well, many people told me afterward just how great they were. (If I can get a video clip of it, I’ll post it here.)
Since Waldorf is so far away from Baltimore and I have a sinus infection, I was kind of suffering through the day. Again, I’m glad that I had been taking the week off.
By the way, congratulations to the first place winners and good luck to them as they will be competing at the regional competition in New Jersey this weekend.
Now, as for my workout routine I decided to run 4 marathons next year (including Frederick and Baltimore). My first will be the Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach in March. Based on that date, I backed up 18 weeks and will start training around mid-November.
Until then, I will concentrate my workouts on using weights, kickboxing, and dance to keep fit and continue to lose weight and inches. Well, the inches around my waist really.
That reminds me that I should do a series of posts on body image. That will come soon because that is a big issue with cheerleaders and dancers (I used to dance as well). I know that you don’t have to be a size 0 to be a professional dancer and that there are many things dancers and cheerleaders can do if they don’t fit into the tiny Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders uniform (since that is one of the things that will decide if you make the team). So look for that series of posts.
For now, I’ve got to get back to working out.
10.12.08
Post Race Recovery
First of all, congratulations to all 17,000+ runners and walkers who came out for this year’s Baltimore Running Festival, sponsored by Under Armour.
And for those who trained but were unable to participate, we’ll see you in Frederick!
As for me, I ran the half marathon on Saturday morning. It was my 3rd half marathon this year.
Baltimore’s course is tough because Baltimore has a lot of hills people don’t know about. It is not a flat course. But you feel great when you’re done.
I had been out of training for weeks because of a broken toe, a hurt back, and a twisted ankle. But I made sure to keep active in some way. I knew the endurance would be there, but I just wouldn’t be fast.
I finished in about 3 hours and 52 minutes, by my watch. Not bad for a severe cut back in training and a lack of speed.
I was really glad when it was over, though. When the race started, it was already warm outside and it just got hotter and hotter.
I was getting cramps in both of my feet and with just about a mile to go I got a cramp in my left calf!
Once I crossed that finish line I knew I left everything I had out on that course.
I must confess that one of the reasons I was so committed to finishing was because I had signed up for the Maryland Double. That’s basically agreeing to run the Frederick Marathon or Half and the Baltimore Marathon or Half. You get a finisher’s medal at both races and then a huge 3rd medal after the Baltimore race.
Believe me, those of us who took the challenge earned that 3rd medal with blood, sweat, and tears. Literally.
But, now we have to recover.
Yesterday, post race, I had places on my body that just hurt. Today, those same places are sore.
So, if you’re going to be running your first race soon or just finished one, like I did, then you may be wondering how to recover.
First of all, don’t run for at least a week. Seriously, don’t do it. I don’t care if you ran a 5k, don’t run.
Second, make sure you stretch often and hold your stretches for up to 30 seconds.
Third, as you go about your day, be sure to stay active because when you stay still for too long, that’s when the soreness starts to set in.
Fourth, if you ran a longer race, get a massage if you haven’t scheduled one already. You’ll thank me later.
Fifth, soak in a bath with Epsom’s salt. I’m not much for baths, but there is something to be said for the magic of Epsom’s salt.
If you feel you must keep active for the week after your race, then try doing something not related to running. Swim, bike, do yoga, etc. Walking is okay, but it’s using many of the same muscles so you might want to limit extra walking. I plan on doing yoga.
After a week off, I’m sure you’ll be ready to get back into the swing of things. When you are, make sure you know what your next running goal is and find a training schedule to support that plan.
I plan on doing both full marathons next year plus a 3rd and 4th. So I am going to have to find the one’s I want to do and work my way backward to find out when I need to start training again.
In between training, I rely heavily on cross-training so that I don’t burn out on running. Biking and kickboxing are a couple of my favorites, but do you like.
So, basically, here is your post race recovery plan:
1. No running for a week and only very light exercise.
2. Get a massage.
3. Stretch.
4. Take a bath.
5. Stay active to help offset soreness.
If you need more than a week before running again, take your time. There is no reason to over train or injure yourself. Also, make sure that you absolutely give yourself as much time as possible to train for the next race.
I hope these tips help. I know that if I can do, you can do it too!
See you at the next race!
10.10.08
Having a Summer Wedding? Need Beachy Colors?
I’ve been checking out my sources at The Knot and I have found some great color combinations for beachy color combos.
You’ll want to try: sand and seashell, sunset and sand dollar, aqua and chocolate, or navy and lemon (caution, this last one is very nautical).
If you want something really nautical, go with the navy and lemon combo.
Go with sand and seashell if you want more feminine and soft colors.
Use sunset and sand dollar to really have your colors stand out.
Aqua and chocolate are great colors for an evening wedding.
P.S. If you don’t have someone to help you with these details, email my office at baltimorestylist@gmail.com.
Is Personal Training Helping the Obesity Problem?
Well, that’s kind of a loaded question, and I’ll tell you why.
Long term weight loss is the result of a lifestyle change — not a short-term, restrictive diet. Because this level of commitment is required, many people will quit before they see results, or they get frustrated because they don’t get the results they think they should get.
Now where do personal trainers fit into all of this?
Well, not every personal trainer can or wants to work with clients who want/need to lose weight.
For those that do, the majority of the work has to be done by the client. So, again, the client has to be willing to make the changes necessary to achieve a better lifestyle.
That doesn’t mean the trainer isn’t important. How often do you see people in the gym or outside working out who do the same things over and over again but they always look the same. Have you ever wondered why?
The trainer is usually the missing ingredient.
A trainer can design a workout for you that will help you achieve your goals of lean muscle building, fat loss, etc. Not only that, but the trainer will be able to adjust for plateaus in weight loss and provide a mix of exercises. A good trainer will also be able to help you exercise around an injury (if you are cleared to exercise) and give you a routine to follow when you go on vacation.
Consider the personal trainer as your ally in the fight against obesity. And there’s a trainer for everyone — kids to senior citizens. There are trainers who do group exercise classes, semi-private classes, will work with you outdoors, will use gym equipment, etc. Whatever you need in a trainer, you can find one — and that includes budget.
Some trainers, like myself, have designed workouts you can download to your computer for less than the price of 1 one-to-one session. To see my selection, go to my page at PumpOne.
Personal training can only help the obesity problem to the extent that those who are overweight or obese want or need our help.
Biggest Loser Host Ali Sweeney and Her “Big” News
Okay, this may not be news to some of you who follow her show “Days of Our Lives” but Biggest Loser host Ali Sweeney will be gaining weight as the show goes on.
Why?
Ali is expecting her second child. Sometime in January she is expected to give birth so an early congratulations to Ali and her pregnancy!
Rachel Zoe Needs an Event Planner!
So, they’re in the middle of planning outfits for the Oscars and the Indie Spirit Awards and she wants to have a 10 year anniversary party.
Apparently Rachel is the only one who thinks this is a good idea.
Brad and Taylor know that there is too much going on and that there is no time for a party.
Roger just doesn’t want to be surrounded by all of those people. He wanted to do something quiet just with Rachel.
What Rachel doesn’t seem to get is that by insisting on this party at that particular time, she is putting unnecessary stress on her staff and husband. As it is, she barely gets to spend time with him.
So, let’s pretend Rachel has time for her own party. To really pull it off, she should really hire an event planner who can take care of the details for Rachel while she and her staff get her work done.
But here’s one of the biggest reasons people don’t hire wedding and event planners: fear of a lose of control.
People like Rachel Zoe are so successful because they put everything they have into their work — often at the expense of other parts of their lives. They are used to being in control and calling the shots. That makes it hard, but not impossible, to work with a planner.
Remember, event and wedding planners are here for you to save you time, money, and added stress so that you can have a great and very enjoyable event.
I think Rachel and Roger should definitely celebrate their 10 year anniversary (and congratulations to them). But they are going to have to come to a compromise as to how that is going to happen and it will likely involve Rachel taking a break of some sort from her work (even if it’s just for a weekend without her Crackberry — I mean Blackberry).
10.07.08
Brand New Season of Whose Wedding Is It Anyway
Tonight is the night!
The premiere of an all new season of Style Network’s “Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?”
Whether you are a planner or a bride looking for ideas, this is one of the best wedding shows on TV.
So catch up with the season premiere tonight at 10pm Eastern Time.
Also tonight there is a brand new episode of “The Rachel Zoe Project.” It’s also at 10pm on Bravo, so I might be staying up late to catch up on everything!
