Part XII: The Finale

Throughout the past twelve weeks I have shared stories of my past struggles, experiences, and triumphs while on my journey to a healthier lifestyle.  My main goals at the beginning of my journey were to feel comfortable in my own skin and create a healthy balance between work, school, and exercise. Looking back at my experience I have accomplished those goals, as well as many others along the way. With this final post I hope to enlighten you to begin your own journey with any aspect of life, health related or not.
 

“If you think you can. You can”. This quote came directly from a fortune cookie I received from a restaurant years ago. This statement has had such an impact on my outlook on life that I keep it in my wallet just in case I need a pinch of motivation. In a previous post I mentioned that these were the words I started my journey off with. It is fascinating to think that these simple seven words can be so encouraging, positive, and have such a motivational impact on someone, like it did on me.


 Food used to be a comfort in my life because I could channel all my emotions and negativity into eating more while creating a false sense of happiness. I have found a happy medium to eating a healthy, properly portioned meal. By working out I have the opportunity to eat the foods I want to, while providing a healthier lifestyle for myself.
 

Before I started this journey I would have never been able to run one mile straight or complete a workout DVD. I have seen my progress and am thrilled that I have come so far. I have a passion for running now that I would have never guessed would have occurred. I’ve completed an uncountable amount of 5K races, one half-marathon, and plan to race in a full marathon later this year. I have also embarked on a fifty-mile bicycle ride, worn out four pairs of running shoes, listened to a plethora of music, and drank enough water to fill up Lake Michigan a couple times over. I am proud of my accomplishments and I am hopeful that my future goals will keep me motivated to continue a healthy lifestyle.
 

This journey was not an easy one to grasp or accomplish but with time anything is possible. Always keep your goals in place and think of yourself as a pioneer, even if that is just a pioneer of your own health. Never give up on what you want just because something got in the way or someone told you that you couldn’t accomplish it. That should just be more reason to prove them wrong.
 

My journey will continue on; isn’t it about time that you start yours?
Journey on, my friend. 

Part XI: The Achievement

Last week I discussed how important music is to your athletic performance. Whether I am running one mile or twenty-five miles music pushes me forward. I recently competed in my first half marathon in Chicago. It was an event I was dreading for weeks because my training had been off track due to the terribly cold and snowy weather.

I was lucky enough to be in Florida the week before the race. While there, I trained hard because I knew if I wanted to compete strong during the marathon I needed to find and set my pace. The locations I ran at were gorgeous; Amazonian looking rain forests, historic landmarks, and swampland surrounded the paths. It was the perfect place to practice for a race. Especially a race I had minimally trained for during the long winter. When I arrived back to my home later in the week I stayed on track running every other day, building my miles up one-by-one.  

I woke up at four in the morning the day of the race because fellow racers were picking up my dad and me at five A.M. We drove up to Chicago and parked in a parking lot off of State Street. We were then bused to the park where the race was being held. When we first entered the park, we quickly noticed that we were the first participants to arrive and had two and a half hours until the race even began. It was very cold and windy because we were next to Lake Michigan and the sun had not fully emerged yet. The pathways, including the course paths, were still covered in patches of snow and ice from the winter storms that passed through that week.  I knew before that this race was not going to be easy, now I was reassured that I was quite screwed.

Eventually we lined up at the starting line and the race began promptly at 9 A.M. At this point we couldn’t wait to begin and warm up our bodies that had been freezing in the wind the last few hours. The views were beautiful, running along the lakefront, next to Soldier Field, through parks and around lakes. I was thrilled to of not stopped running until the nine-mile mark because nature was calling and there was a water break station. After my fast break I began the last leg of my race.

By mile eleven, I was cold, wet, and sore from the previous eleven miles and ready for this race to be done and over with. If there was any motivation left in me, this was the point I needed it most. I turned on my ‘Pump-up’ song playlist on my iPod and let ‘Chelsea Dagger’ take me away.  The last couple miles were definitely the roughest so thank goodness for the music that motivated me to finish strong.

Once I saw the finish line I knew this was my chance to make up ground and pass up anyone ahead of me. This is when my adrenaline kicked in and I flew past the finish line with a smile on my face and a body that was about to crumble apart. I got my medal, food, and water from the race volunteers and went to my groups meeting place. Once we were all together we congratulated each other and onward we went back to the car. It was the most painful walk I have ever experienced in my life, but well worth it. Once back to the car, we packed up and went to eat. This was a nice, peaceful end to a very successful morning.

All good things must come to an end. Join me next week for my final blog entry. Until then, enjoy your week.

Part X: The Beats

In my previous blog posts I discussed how important working out is to your health. Today I will be telling you how music can make your workouts more enjoyable while boosting your athletic performance.
 

John Logan once said, “Music’s the medicine of the mind.” Listening to music while exercising can help clear your mind and push you further in a workout. If you don’t take my word for it, listen to this. In 2009 a research study was conducted at Liverpool John Moores University in England. The study showed what effects music of different tempos had on cyclist’s riding stationary bikes. Every single person who was involved with the study mentioned that listening to music helped motivate him or her to peddle faster, longer, and harder than without music. The research study proved that music could actually boost athletic performance.
 
I always listen to music when I am running or exercising. Not only does the music keep me from getting bored on long distance runs it also helps clear my mind from all of the things going on in my life. Fast, upbeat music is best listened to when you want to keep a good pace while running. Whatever genre of music you enjoy, you can always sync your steps with the beat of the song you are listening to. I personally like using my Beats headphones when I run because they have the best sound. These earphones are not liked by die-hard runners because they are quite large and obnoxious.  

Pump-up songs are tunes that will give you motivation during your exercise. I always make sure to add a playlist of all my favorite pump-up songs on my iPod. If I am ever in pain or if I just can’t seem to find motivation to continue my run I play my pump-up songs. Any pain I am in becomes more bearable instantly.


 I use a new phone application called PaceDJ that creates music playlists that match your running, cycling, and walking pace. The application is $1.99 in iTunes and $0.99 in the Android Marketplace, but well worth the money. If you are a fan of new music or if you just cannot figure out what songs are excellent exercise beats then give this application a try.
 

Listening to music when I exercise has become a habit. It has gotten me through miles upon miles of pain and boredom. Join me next week when I tell you all about my first half marathon I competed in. See you then!

Part IX: The Accessories

In previous posts I had discussed how important working out is in order to achieve your best health. In order to be comfortable during a workout it is important to have the proper exercise attire, shoes, and accessories. I have experimented with many different types of clothes and shoes while running in order to make sure I reach my maximum potential. The information I will share with you is my own personal opinion and may not fit to what you would feel comfortable in while exercising.

There are so many different types of shoes that can be used for different exercises. The most important part of any shoe is having great support. Without the support you will strain your muscles with all your body weight being pushed down into your ankles and feet. Finding the best support for your foot is difficult because we all have different stances and we distribute our weight on different areas of our feet. I have found that Nike running shoes work best with the way that I walk and run because I tend to have more pressure on the front of my foot rather than using my heel. Nike shoes have thick soles that offer good support and are light enough to not be a burden on your legs. It is also very important to have the arch of your foot fully supported because you push off the ground by stretching your arch. If the arch of your foot isn’t supported you could pull a muscle in your foot or worse, you could start to lose your arch altogether.

When I first started exercising I always wore cotton shirts and basketball shorts. These materials are heavy and absorb sweat, which leaves you smelling terrible. As I learned more about how my body moves when I work out, I decided to start wearing dry proof materials and thinner and lighter exercise shorts. These materials helped ease the terrible smell your body gives off when you sweat. The clothes also keep you cool and more comfortable as you move in them because they stretch with your body movements. Sleeveless shirts are nice to wear during the warmer months of the year but they do chafe underneath your armpits because they rub your skin with the seam of the shirt. I like to wear lightweight shorts with pockets because I run and workout with a water bottle. Plus having a place to store personal items when exercising is always a plus.

Last year I bought an exercise watch that counts calories, shows the amount of steps I take, the distance I travel and even a heart-beat monitoring system. When I get back from my run I always log the information into a notebook for future records. After each month I can analyze my progress and set a goal for future months.

Join me next week when I discuss how important music is to your workout. 

Part VIII: The Awry Journey

Have you ever planned a trip where nothing went as expected? For some reason these trips usually are the ones we talk about the most. Last year I had planned a bicycling trip with a couple of friends. We wanted to take a local trail from our hometown to the southern most point of the trail. The destination was Kankakee, Illinois, which was a nineteen-mile straightaway on the gravel pathway. I was so excited because the furthest I had run on the trail was just a couple miles south, but never to the extent we planned on traveling.

When embarking on a long bike ride it is important to have all the essentials in a backpack. I loaded my backpack with food, five water bottles, my phone charger, a camera, my cellular phone, my wallet with some extra cash, sunglasses, and a hat. I didn’t bring suntan lotion with because I had already put some on before we left. The weather was supposed to be a perfect 75 degrees, partly cloudy and a nice, breezy amount of wind. I made sure I wore my good running shoes because I knew my feet would be comfortable in them while peddling.

Preparing my bike for the trip was difficult because I had to replace both tires, clean the belt, and find a seat that wouldn’t destroy my rear-end, among other things. Once I had the bike in tip-top shape I knew I was prepared and ready for the daylong trip. I called my friends to tell them I was ready and we met at my house around 7 A.M. in the morning.

After the first eight miles our bodies already began to ache because our seats were not comfortable. We managed to get through the pain by just talking the whole way to Kankakee. The scenery was gorgeous along the route, definitely a surprise to me. When we arrived at the end of the trail we decided to look at the map and see how far away Kankakee State Park was away from the trail. It looked like the park was only one mile away and we thought that would be worth the extra distance. We traveled a good distance when we finally realized that the one-mile marker on the map was not correct. We searched our phones to figure out exactly where we were because we had taken side roads to get to the park. Finally we were able to locate the park, it was a couple miles from our location. We laughed it off and continued on our way.

Eventually we arrived at the park and biked our way through the hilly terrain ending up next to the Kankakee River. We ate lunch and said it was time to begin our journey back home. Instead of rerouting where we just came from, we decided to cross the river and find our way back to the trail because it would be a shorter distance and less confusing to get to.

We were biking along the side of a busy road for quite a few miles when we thought we had gotten ourselves lost. According to our phones we were only two miles from the trail that would take us back to our hometown. On the way to the trail we ran across a biker bar and since we were running low on water, we decided to stop in. To our surprise the bar and its patrons were very nice, the bartender even cooked us tacos. It was a rest we all needed before we finished our journey home. Along the route home we all decided to go finish our biking adventure at our local ice cream shop. It gave us motivation to actually keep moving especially since we were all so tired and sore. At this point we had no clue how many miles we had just embarked on but we were quite curious. As soon as we arrived at home we jumped on the computer and calculated exactly where we biked and how many miles we logged. The distance we traveled was fifty miles. This was an experience I would never forget because it was so unexpected and hilarious to think that we just biked fifty miles for no reason.

Please join me next week when I discuss what to buy when looking for workout clothes and accessories. Enjoy your week.

Part VII: The Well-Balanced Diet

I love food. Fruits, vegetables, breads, dairy, sweets and meats, I love all of it. The amount of food that some of us consume per day is ridiculous; in fact it’s pitiful. It’s not just how much we eat that is unfortunate, but what we eat. There have been days when I would be in a rush in the morning, quickly grab a granola bar and run out the door. Although this may seem like a healthy breakfast it is not enough to fulfill the body throughout the morning.

Dieting has become a popular form of eating healthier and in portions. Dieting should be cautioned because some forms of dieting abstain you from eating the foods and proper nutrition needed on a daily basis.

Having a well balanced diet is encouraged. This is very different from dieting because having a well balanced diet is a habit whereas dieting is a temporary lifestyle. It is suggested that we eat three meals a day as well as a healthy snack. These meals include the usual breakfast, lunch, and dinner. With breakfast being the most important meal of the day I always made sure I filled up on fruit and oats.

During my journey I decided to look into diets to find one that would work for me. The problem was I couldn’t find any diet that I liked. At this point I decided to concoct my own diet. About seventy percent of my diet was breads and dairy. I had a thought that if I took breads and dairy out of my meals maybe it would help me lose more weight. You must substitute other foods in place of what you take out of your diet in order to continue the balance of nutrition.

The substitute I used for dairy was soymilk and almond milk. It is all natural and has double the calcium that a gallon of milk has. In reality, I could take all calcium foods and drinks out of my diet and have one glass of almond milk, which would provide me with enough calcium for the day. Since most of my diet was breads I decided to take almost all breads out of my everyday eating habit. The substitute I used for the breads was whole-grain products. It satisfied my craving for bread while also providing me with the oats and grains needed for my fiber intake.

It was difficult to go out and eat or even cook at home because breads and dairy are in almost every meal. I remember going to a burger restaurant and asking for a burger without the bread. As expected, the cashier gave me a weird look and plugged some buttons into the cash register computer. Soon enough the food came out and to my surprise the cook had made me a lettuce wrapped burger complete with vegetables and extra sides. It was great going to a restaurant and having such flexibility with what I wanted to eat.

Join me next week when I discuss how biking can improve your weight loss while helping you clear your mind.  I will also tell stories from a fifty-mile bike ride that I took on accident. Enjoy your week!

Part VI: The Challenge

Looking back on my high school career I notice that I never took on a hobby of any kind. Usually in high school there are the sports-related students, the book-smart students, the musical students and then the people who weren’t involved as much. I was very involved in extra-curricular activities. I was not involved in any sport, music, or book related category.

I have always had a fast pace when walking. When I am walking with friends at an amusement park I always have to remind myself to slow down so I don’t get too far ahead of everyone. If there were ever an apocalypse in my lifetime, I am positive I would survive just by walking faster than anything coming after me.

Running never crossed my mind as a hobby I could begin. I always thought it would be too much of a challenge and tiring; probably a good sign that I was out of shape. After I hit a plateau with my Biggest Loser workouts I knew I needed a new plan to continue my journey. I decided to give running a try because I knew it could help me lose calories fast. Burning a lot of calories fast means losing weight at a faster rate.

I loaded new and upbeat music on my iPod because I knew music would help me run at a good pace. I put a water bottle in my shorts pocket because there are no water fountains on the trails surrounding my house. After I was ready, I stretched and began my run.

One of the most challenging things about running is finding a pace that fits with your breathing. If your pace is too fast you will lose your breath and have to stop for a couple of minutes to recuperate. It took a couple trial runs until I found a correct pace that fit me.

Your breathing should be controllable and calm. Personally I run with my mouth open because breathing is easier to retain than breathing in and out from my nose only. There are some downsides to running with your mouth open. If you enjoy protein, you’re in luck because you will be eating plenty of miscellaneous insects throughout the run. I enjoy running at sunset but the bugs are so terrible at this time that it caused me to start running in the early afternoon instead.

The best way to gain more mileage is to stay motivated and stay hydrated. As long as you do those two things you could run for miles and miles. It may seem like a difficult task to do but it is actually easier than you may think.

Eventually when you feel up for a challenge go run a 5K, 8K, or any sort of competitive run. After finishing these races you will feel a great deal of accomplishment. These accomplishments will help keep you motivated. I have personally run a multitude of races, all of which have been fun and present different challenges. Whether that is running through rough terrain, mud, puddles, or running up steep hills and slopes, all races are ‘more than meets the eye’.

I have my first half-marathon coming up in mid-March. Training for the marathon has been difficult because of the long and treacherous winter. I am thrilled to be competing but am nervous because it is my first competitive race of this length. My main goal is to finish the race while having a good time running with some family and friends.

Dieting has become a popular form of regulated eating. There are many forms of diets; some work and some do not. Join me next week when I discuss how one diet aided in my weight loss.