Weekly Review August 30

Sorry but you will have to go to this link to hear my audio

On The Road

Well, I should be at my friend's in Indiana and hopefully no snafus. Visiting friends is fun but can also pose obstacles to healthy eating. I try to be accommodating to my hosts tastes but I won't go too far away from what I normally eat. If necessary, I can always have a small portion of the local cuisine, even if it is fried. Again, knowing ahead of time what to expect is helpful and the meals for the day before and after can be altered to offset any splurges. You can't expect not to forgo the local flavors when on a trip but you can always control the portions.

Stretching Tip #6 Make It A Habit

Like any of the healthy lifestyle changes I've talked about, stretching needs to become a habit. It isn't something you do just because you are sore or because you have time left in your workout. It needs to be thoughtful and consistent - like brushing your teeth. The ultimate goal is to maintain your range of motion and flexibility as you age so you can continue to do the activities you like to do. Otherwise, the aging process will slowly limit your capacity to function adequately. Although you may not like to think about it, many of the things we do throughout our day is purely maintenance -- putting gas in the car, doing the wash, mowing the lawn. Some of these tasks you can pay to take care of but your health is something only you can maintain.

Taking A Break Is Warranted

Taking this trip is the best thing for me--I have probably been over-training and doing too much high impact activities. Taking a break will allow my body to recover but still be active enough to maintain gains. Yes, coming back to running will be difficult but I will ease back into it and monitor the intensity of all my workouts; more emphasis on longer, slower cardio with extended stretching and limited resistance to begin with, followed by a slow progression back to my pre-trip levels. Since I have plenty of time before the end of the year, I should be on track with my 2009 goals. Staying fit and healthy takes planning but it need not be inflexible.

Another small injury delays goal--

Don't know how it happened but I wrenched my knee!

Weekly Review August 23.mp3