March 2009

Message from Lindsey

Everyday eating & exercise

UPCOMING EVENTS

Class Rumble at Rough-Fit

Workshops

Special Workshop:
Presented by Life Coach Tara Sayre

Upcoming races

Featured Member:
Kimberly R

Stress and our bodies

ROUGH-FIT MARCH NEWSLETTER

The year is in full swing and we're already headed towards our next class incentive program. Be sure to read about the Rough-Fit Class Rumble!

Remember to check all the upcoming events so you don't miss anything. We have added an exciting new workshop which will be presented by Tara Sayre.

As always, if you have any questions or feedback please e-mail us.

MESSAGE FROM LINDSEY

One of my most favorite things in the past few years has been to travel somewhere and see the area by participating in a marathon. Despite much lobbying with my husband my marathon travel schedule has been reduced significantly, due to economic uncertainties or what I’m going to refer to as the “Adjustment Era!” All I had on my radar for this year are Catalina and Dublin in October. You can imagine my disappointment when after some silly speed work (what was I thinking!) my hammy started to niggle the week before Cat. It went from a niggle to a nag to a flat out yelling! I was so annoyed but tried to focus on what I could do rather than what I couldn’t. So 3 massages later, an acupuncture session and a long over due chiropractic session with Dr. Stark and I decided to head to the start on the highly unpredictable 5am boat ride.

This year calm waters prevailed and no one left their breakfast at two harbors. I decided that I would run 5miles and see how things were at that point. My running partner at Catalina is a gentleman that I met during the race 3 years ago -Brian. The night before I couldn’t get Marc or Bill to commit to running the first half with me but Brian graciously said he had no time constraints and we’d enjoy walking the hills. And there are many hills in Catalina. Catalina is a cult race – there are an enormous amount of repeat offenders for this scenic, yet grueling event. Runners World selected it as a must do marathon in 2007 and described the elevation profile as heart-stopping as the Dow Jones (ok so maybe these days the elevation is a tad tamer than the Dow Jones but you get the picture.) People have incredible stories and that’s why the race beckons people to return and each ask why they did it again? (One of the “original four”, a 33 year race veteran, had a beer with us after the race. He regaled us in stories that were so funny that my abs ached from laughter.) At mile 5 I took stock of my hammy and all was quiet on the home front. With the hills we were averaging about an 11 min pace very comfortably. At mile 9 my chest started to tighten up and I inhaled from my asthma pump. Things slowly got worse and at mile 11, I was struggling to walk at a reasonable pace up the hills. I urged Brian to go ahead as he was on pace for a sub 5 and felt strong. He checked and rechecked if that was ok and off he went.

The “middle earth” part of the race is a long slow steady incline and I was relegated to running from pole to pole. After the infamous pumphouse hill there were no more poles so it became a bush to bush strategy. Bill H caught up to me and we ran from about 18-24 together. Walk the hills, run the flats and downs. Bill sometimes couldn’t identify my bushes but I assured him when “this is my bush.” Anyone listening to the conversation may have thought they were hallucinating. The last 3 miles of Cat are straight down. This might sound easy but it’s excruciating on the quads after 23 miles of up and downs. At about 24, an elderly gentleman came flying by me down the hill. I got an intense whiff of something but I was more in shock at Mr. Happy Feet Grandpa zooming by me so I stopped and waited to tell Bill that we should’ve taken a picture of grandpa passing us. He grunted and said thanks for pointing that out. I mentioned that I thought grandpa might’ve had a little accident but thought maybe it was a little gas power that I smelled. I headed on down the hill and started catching grandpa until I realized that it was like running behind a porta pottie. This was not the aroma you wanted to be inhaling on the last stretch of a marathon. Shortly Grandpa caught up to 3 young lasses and they checked in on his wellbeing. Next thing he shoots off like a bat out of hell and there was no catching him. Now I thought I was hallucinating because I saw little poop pebbles dropping from grandpas khaki shorts. I caught the girls and they told me he was 80 and said he was fine. Grandpa was fine alright – he was kicking my butt! I concentrated on avoiding the trail of landmines he was leaving at lightening speed! What a kick – an 80 year old doing one of the hardest marathons!

If I can run like that at 80 and all that happens is I poop my pants, that’s wonderful. The alternative is to be in bed in a diaper with poop. I’m all over the former! As you’ll see in the map below, Grandpa Happy Feet passed me on Memorial Road - he left me with a memory alright. So once again another lesson, there’s always someone ahead or behind you in a race and this day I was just grateful to be out on the trail with some incredible people. Brian was celebrating his 20th marathon and he completed it about 20 minutes ahead of me. Not my best time by a long shot, but not my worst. Brian asked how many marathons I’d done and I came home and went through the basket of medals waiting to be turned into a wind chime – the answer 23. Did I ever imagine I would do 23 marathons after my first – emphatically I’ll tell you never! Can I imagine trying to do them until I’m 80 – yep, I’m a dreamer! It’s all about pole pole or in this marathon case – bush to bush and poopy poopy! For now the goal is simple - PJ every day.

PS – Grandpa - whose name shall remain anonymous unless you check the stats :-) won his age group!!!

Below is a link of video of the Catalina marathon. I encourage you to view some snippets to get an idea of how many people undertake this memorable race – all shapes, sizes, ages, attitudes and memories. There are glimpses of Bill and I at 27mins, 31/32 minutes and someone with a broken arm finishing at 63 minutes and finally check out the joy of the finisher around 64 minutes of video.

Anyone can do this race and live to tell the tale :-)

http://www.ecatalina.com/marathon-2009-video-html

Back to top

EVERYDAY EATING AND EXERCISE: HIGHLIGHTS

We’re in the last week of the 8-week incentive program. We’ve tracked saturated fat, sodium and sugar and we love it when people connect the dots like Michelle A who summed it up perfectly:

“Having us focus on something different each week really reminds me that I have to look at the whole picture while choosing the foods I eat. For instance, ice cream was a good choice during sodium week but not such a good choice for saturated fat week. There is one constant though, vegetables are a good choice every week and allow you to eat more for less sodium, fat and calories.”

And just in case you’re stuck thinking adding extra exercise always has to be tough, just look at Maureen S who got her extra exercise by playing on the playground equipment with her niece for 90 minutes!

One more week before we announce the winners.

Back to top

UPCOMING EVENTS

CLASS RUMBLE AT ROUGH-FIT

The second incentive of the year is a 2 month (8 week) competition between the 3 classes. If you’re more of a flex person we will assign you to a mutually agreed upon class.

Here’s how it will work:

WHAT: Rumble at Rough-Fit

WHY: Promote positive camaraderie and competition between the 6am/9am and 6pm classes for 8 weeks with the end result of improving your overall health and wellness.

WHEN: Starts April 13th and ends with the Annual Rough-Fit 5k Summer Run and breakfast on June 20th.
Final day for registration is April 8th.

HOW: Each class will participate in a series of challenges. These will be recorded and an average for the class will be assessed.

The challenges will be repeated the final week of the incentive. Some challenges included are:

• Obstacle course – timed event
• Side walk stair step – timed event
• Walk Squat – timed event
• Weight maintenance and % of weight loss
• POG % completion – we will assign no more than 3 POG’s a week.
• 5k run times
• Weekend workout participation – on your own or as part of the group.
  

COST: $20 – includes award breakfast and 5k on the 20th

This is a great opportunity to step up your training through some positive accountability and get yourself in fantastic shape for the summer.

Back to top

WITH-U WORKSHOPS

March 28th: Assessment

Fee is $12

Register here through the City of Tustin or pay us directly with PayPal or a check made out to the City of Tustin. If you do not live in the City of Tustin please add the additional processing fee.

This is an opportunity to “Know your numbers”. The quarterly assessment will be held at the Tustin Senior Center.

The assesment will consist of :

• Blood Pressure;
• Body Fat;
• Hip/Waist Ratio;
• Cardio Step/Pulse evaluation;
• Upper body strength assessment;
• Lower body assessment;
• Agility;
• Overhead squat flexibility evaluation;
• Weight.

You will be provided with a list of results interpretation and suggest actions.

OTHER WORKSHOPS COMING UP:

We have 2 more workshops coming up: Healthy eating in a fast food world on April 25th, and Healthy living in the work environment on May 16th. For more information and to register visit our Workshops page.

Back to top

SPECIAL WORKSHOP:
Presented by Life Coach Tara Sayre

I’ve known Tara for about 10 years now and for several years we’ve been discussing ways to blend her talents and expertise with our business. With-U has been an excellent segway for us to incorporate her skill set, especially during these times which I’m going to refer to as the “adjustment era!” Gen AE if you will! :-)

"You could look at the economy and the world today, and feel hopeless and overwhelmed. Many people around the world are taking a fresh look at how they are living their lives and are “cutting back”. They see the current times as “a recession”.

But it is in challenging times that great opportunities are born. Imagine the power of reconfiguring your life not to cut back, but to branch out! Not by taking on more, but by figuring out what is truly important to you and how to blend the facets of your life in a more authentic way. We are in an Era of Adjustment – it’s the perfect time to make your own adjustments - to your job, your relationships, your spirit, your health - and we can help.

Join us for a webinar on Tuesday, May 5, 2009 from 5:30-6:30pm PDT.

Our Executive Life Coach, Tara Sayre, MBA, will take you through a process of identifying key personal values and applying them to the areas of your life, helping you get closer to your authentic life."

We invite you to include your colleagues, family and friends. Look for a webinar invite soon!

Cost of the Webinar: $0! We’d like to take this opportunity to introduce you to Tara as the newest member of the With-U extension.

Back to top

UPCOMING RACES

MUD RUN @ CAMP PENDLETON

June 6 or 7th: http://www.camppendletonraces.com/mud_sat.html

If this is your first, join the Saturday runs to get yourself ready for this wonderfully fun event.

SEAL BEACH 5K / 10K

April 4th: http://www.sealbeachrun.com

WOODBRIDGE 4TH OF JULY

July 4th: Sponsored by the Woodbridge Village Association - race info will be posted closer to race day.

SAN FRANCISCO MARATHON / HALF

July 26th: http://www.runsfm.com

Back to top

ROUGH-FIT FEATURED MEMBER: KIMBERLY R

Kimberly joined Rough Fit when her second child turned one. A few months after she joined RF she was pregnant again and worked out all during her 3rd pregnancy with RF until 3 weeks before her due date. She took a few months off after having her youngest son and then came back and has been steady ever since – In April it will be 3 years!

How did you learn about Rough-Fit and what motivated you to join?

One day I saw a neighbor running with a Rough Fit sweatshirt on and I asked her about it. I was looking to join something (anything but a gym) to help me lose my post pregnancy weight. At the time my second child was 1 and I couldn’t get my weight off. I knew I wouldn’t go to the gym and I wanted something different. Knowing that I would have accountability here (Lindsey calling me if I didn’t show up) was huge for me.

What exercise did you do prior to joining?

I used to walk briskly but told myself I would never run.

What do you enjoy most about the program?

I love the variety of the workouts, the camaraderie and friendships, and working out in the outdoors in the early morning. I also like how Lindsey puts an emphasis on eating right in addition to working out.

Do you think the workouts are effective and why?

Definitely! After all these years I still get sore!! I notice that I have more energy throughout the day. The workouts helped me to reach my weight loss goal from when I joined Rough Fit.

What is the most challenging part of the program for you?

The most challenging part for me in my stage of life is getting up in the morning. With three little boys at home it can be tough. The days when the kids are sick or I am really exhausted it is hard for me to get up. Overall, I know I feel better when I do come to class and workout.

What progress have you made to date?

I have lost all my post pregnancy weight and I would like to lose an additional 5-10 pounds. Even though I swore I would never run I competed in two 5K’s and the Camp Pendleton Mud Run (and I had fun)!

What specific items have helped you the most with regards to nutrition?

Counting my calories. I never knew how much I used to eat until I wrote it down. Learning about different vegetables and actually trying them. Noticing how much sodium is in everyday common food that we eat! Paying attention to High Fructose Corn Syrup.

How has this impacted your daily living and how are you different today vs. when you first started Rough-Fit?

My family doesn’t eat as much fast food as we use to do prior to me joining RF. I am more aware of what I eat and what I make for my kids. I want them to be healthy and it starts in the home. I offer a lot of veggies as snacks now and my kids love them (for the most part). My idea of a vacation used to be sitting on a beach the entire time but now I like vacations that involve outdoor activities such as running, biking, basketball, or tennis.

Has it been easy to stay committed?

It has been a process for me. I’ve never contemplated quitting but there are definitely periods when it is hard to get up and go.

What are your long term goals and how do you see Rough-Fit complimenting those?

My long term goal is to lead an active and healthy lifestyle. Rough Fit is helping me stay on track to achieve that goal. It is also gives me time to hang out with these cool people!

Back to top

STRESS AND OUR BODIES

Earlier in this session, someone was sharing their back pains with me and I hopped on my soap box about how stress was working its way into our lives and manifesting itself in a whole host of ailments. This was one of many aches and pains that appear to be prevalent in friends, family and clients of late. Ironically enough my ACE monthly arrived and their feature article was on stress so I thought I’d take the opportunity to recap on Stress 101!

Some of the facts:

Experts are still a tad divided by how to define stress but one thing that is a consensus is that an astonishing 80-90% of illness is stress related and nearly 100million Americans suffer from stress related illness.

Dr. David Coppel says that “when the demands form the environment are greater than our emotional and psychological resources, what’s left over is stress.” It’s multi-dimensional and crosses temporal boundaries. Not everyone responds to stress in the same way but it puts pressure on your biological and/or psychi system and makes you feel abnormal.

Symptoms:

While not the same for everyone, these are some of the more common short-term symptoms:

• Increased heart rate
• Sweaty Palms
• Muscle tension
• Gastrointestinal distress
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Agitation
• Panic attacks
• Depression
• Anxiety

Stress releases cortisol and in small amounts this helps us respond positively in fight or flight situations – increases our immunity and decreases our sensitivity to pain. BUT, when we pump out higher and more prolonged levels of cortisol, impaired cognitive function, blood sugar imbalances, loss of muscle and bone density, more abdominal fat, higher blood pressure and lower immunity occur. Coppel suggests that it has a “deleterious effect on the heart and other organs.” Even if you’ve drawn a bad gene and are prone to stress doesn’t mean you can’t combat it.

How to deal with stress?

Step 1

It’s no surprise that the article claims, “The cheapest medicine we have is exercise.” One study found that exercise increases the ability of the body to mobilize energy and prepares the body to better cope with stress. Another study found that it puts people in a more relaxed state and reduces anxiety and blood pressure.
30-60 minutes at lease five days a week!

Step 2

Secondly watch your diet – green leafy veggies contain calcium and magnesium which are known to relax one’s system. Fruits/veggies and whole grains are also all excellent at boosting the immune system.

Step 3

Avoid fatty food, fast food, sugar, caffeine – all the things that you know are bad for you.
Be mindful of the many things that you have to be grateful for. Practice mindfulness and reiterate that your worries are gone and that all the stress has left your body. Simply relax – clear the brain of its washing machine activities. Practice deep breathing and make sure you breathe from your diaphragm and not your chest. If you’re doing it right your stomach will move in and out but your chest and shoulders will stay still. Go through a process of contracting and relaxing all the muscles in the body, inhaling deeply, holding for a few seconds and then slowly exhale.

Step 4

Avoid the Ostrich approach
Coppel advises, “Don’t hide from the fact that his is a difficult time. … open your monthly statements. Understand the difference between influence and control. Focus on the solution and not the problem.”

• Scale back on unnecessary items, cut back on eating out. Examine your social crowd and avoid those who indulge in negative behavior.
• Get the proper amount of sleep.
• Minimize your exposure to repetitive negative media and take media free days or even limit your amount of news time.
• Concentrate on helping others – you’ll feel good by doing good. (Just think how great you’re all going to feel after the gardening workout!) Give of yourself, establish meaningful connections and get an endorphin high.
• So as the article closes, “Calm your nerves, take positive action and you’ll ensure that even if the nation enters a Depression, you won’t.
• In an effort to promote positive solutions within Rough-Fit we encourage you to post information in the discussion group and swap information on job vacancies or people looking for positions. We have partnered with Decision Toolbox so feel free to steer individuals to their website for a vast selection of opportunities. If you’re a hiring manager, I’d be happy to introduce you to the CEO personally. They’re an outstanding cost effective recruiting arm for any company right now. Ram C has provided a link to a list of openings as his company is currently hiring. Feel free to refer this out to any friends etc that you know are in transition.
• Remember that focusing on the solution is far more rewarding and productive than focusing on the misery of it all.

http://dtoolbox.com
http://www.trizetto.com/careers/jobSearch.asp

Back to top