OTAC Personal Trainer Travis Scarborough has participated in Relay For Life for several years–first as walkers, then as active team leaders. Three years ago, Travis’s wife, Jennifer, became the co-chair of the Fauquier Relay For Life. Their lives, like many of ours, have been directly affected by cancer.

“The first time I attended a Relay for Life, I was amazed at the size of the event. There were over a thousand people there. Everyone there has been affected by the disease or knows someone who has. By participating in Relay, we are refusing to sit by and we are choosing to join in the fight against cancer. We can help and support those with it, we can contribute to the scientific fight against it, and we can educate ourselves and others about it,” Travis explains.

In the past, Old Town Athletic Club and its members have supported Relay teams through various activities such as the “Womanless Beauty Contest” and bake sales in the lobby of the club.

This year, Old Town Athletic Club formed its own team. The team is a part of OTAC’s ongoing mission to promote holistic health and fitness in the Club—and in the community.

At the event, the OTAC team will camp out overnight and take turns walking around the track to raise money and awareness to help the American Cancer Society create a world with less cancer and more birthdays.

“The team is also here to show our support and love to our members who are currently fighting cancer. It also represents our members who are cancer survivors and those members who are caring for loved ones with cancer. Finally the team is here to honor the memories of those members we have lost to the disease,” Travis expresses on behalf of the team.

The team is open to all OTAC members, staff and friends and family of OTAC members. You can join the team or make a donation online at:

http://main.acsevents.org/goto/OldTownAthleticClub

If you are looking for a special fitness challenge as part of the team, you can sign up to be a “12 hour Walker” for the Relay For Life event. These participants will walk the Kettle Run track for the entire 12 hours of the Relay. Please indicate it when you sign up for the team if you would like to be a “12 hour walker.”

REGISTER ONLINE HERE!

Our Wellness For Life sessions include a wide-ranging series of discussions:

R.S.V.P. Here!

To add a little spice to my workouts, I signed up for a Duathlon (that would be a run, bike, run combo–no tri doggy paddling for this girl). Now in the past, when I’ve signed up for any kind of race, I immediately drew out a training schedule for my workouts.

What I ate was usually a secondary thought (Ok, sometimes it was a tertiary thought…)

Oh, how times have changed. My focus now is what to eat before and after my training sessions, as well as having an organized exercise plan. Having a well-balanced eating plan coinciding with your exercise routine can enhance your performance by providing your muscles with fuel and repairing your tissues so you can get stronger and be ready for your next workout. Keeping a food and activity journal helps you stick to your goals by tracking your calorie intake and output, discovering those pesky eating triggers, wiping out bad habits, and learning how to motivate your body by eating properly and staying active.

Now, I don’t plan on bringing home a trophy (although my husband says he’ll clear off a space on the mantle for one). My race goal is pretty simple: Finishing strong thanks to my balanced nutrition and training plan.

Did I mention finishing??!

Here are fundamental nutrition tips for those of you that are the mere mortal, non-elite athletes training to finish strong in a race:

PRE-WORKOUT GRUB

Filling up your body’s energy tank prior to a workout can provide you with more energy during your workout. The challenge is knowing how much food you can consume before your workout. Everyone is unique and will burn fuel at a different rate: Some can eat a full meal as little as an hour before a workout, while others have to wait much longer. Ensure that what you eat is easily digestible. You should experiment with the timing to suit your individual needs and keep track of it in your food/activity log.

If you’re an early riser, you want to make sure that you have consumed something that will get you through your training. Remember that your body has been without food for several hours during the night, so you cannot expect to get the best out of your training if you do not fuel your body properly. Eat foods that sit well in your stomach in the morning. This could be a yogurt smoothie, banana, oatmeal with whey protein mixed in, or a slice of whole wheat toast with peanut butter.

SKIPPING MEALS IS A NO-NO

You might think training for a race is a great time to cut back on calories so you can lose some weight before the big race. WRONG! When you increase the intensity and the duration of your workouts, you need to nourish your body adequately. This means putting an eating plan in place that will ensure you are meeting your body’s increased nutrient needs. Skipping a meal will unfortunately set you up for an overindulging disaster later on in the day.

BECOMING A VACUUM AFTER WORKOUTS

You just completed an amazing workout and you feel alive and energetic, albeit a little tired as well. You go to eat something and think, “Hmm, I must have burned at least 2000 calories during my workout! I’ve earned that second helping AND that triple thick, extra large chocolate shake.” Don’t devour everything that falls helplessly in your path after a long training session. You can still eat your favorite foods as long as portions are kept in check and a balanced menu is in place.

EAT UP RIGHT AFTER YOUR WORKOUTS

After an intense workout, your body is ready to soak up nutrients used to refill and repair your body. Protein assists with muscle repair and growth while muscles rely on carbs for fuel. Make sure you are eating the right combination of high-quality protein and complex carbohydrates within 30 minutes to one hour after your workouts in order to speed post-workout recovery. Studies show that the balance is a 4 to 1 ratio of carbs to protein.

When you train in the evening, you might not be ready to eat dinner until very late. Later that big meal will still be churning away when you go nighty-night which can influence your sleep and increase your storage of fat. Eat your main meal at lunch and consume a small post-training meal. A few ideas are eggs on toast, homemade bean and veggie soup with bread, or a small protein & carb shake. Find what works best for you!

QUENCH THAT THIRST

Hydration is a key element of training for any endurance event. Proper hydration enhances performance, helps cool the body, delays fatigue, and prevents injuries associated with dehydration and sweat loss. Make sure you are satisfying your basic fluid requirements as well as increased fluid needs when training. Hydrate before, during, and after exercise.

SUM UP

What you eat plays a huge role in your training. Without putting an eating plan into place you will undermine all the hard work you’ve been establishing. You want to make sure that you are nourishing yourself correctly by eating a wide variety from each food group to ensure you get the nutrients your body needs to recover and grow stronger after each training session. Tracking your food (don’t forget water too!) and activity will keep your training and nutrition goals in check. Having a solid nutrition plan will get you to that finish line.

Finish strong….and maybe bring home that trophy!

There are four types of energy drainers that are particularly detrimental to us:  Stuck on It, I Wish, Worrying, and What Ifs.  All of these are double whammies in that they not only drain us of our energy, but they produce no positive results.

Stuck on It

This is when we use our energy to focus on things that can’t be changed.  You see, problems deplete our energy when we continue to focus and talk about them long after we’ve done everything we can with them.  For a lot of us, it is hard to let go of something without reviewing why it happened. We can get stuck on questions such as: What could have been done differently? How could I have prevented it? How will others judge me?

Here are a few more examples of questions and thoughts that help us stay stuck:

• Why did he/she do this?
• Why did this happen?
• I still can’t believe the relationship is over.
• I shouldn’t have done that.

If you are thinking these thoughts over and over and over again, you are Stuck on It.

I Wish

When we are Stuck on It, we can also get caught up playing I wish.   The I Wish game is when we repeatedly think things like,

• I wish that hadn’t happened.
• If only I had…
• If I just could have…then it wouldn’t have happened.

Playing the I Wish game is an indication that you are unable or unwilling to accept the outcome of a situation, learn from it, and move on.

Worrying

Let me first make a distinction between productive planning and worrying.  There is no denying that we need to have goals and plan for our immediate and long term future.  I am talking about unproductive worrying here that acts as an energy drainer and inhibits our ability to fully engage in our present.   Either we can’t act because we are too worried about our chosen course of action, or when we finally do act, we worry so much about our choice that we become Stuck on It. Clearly, an unproductive cycle that leads us nowhere fast.

What Ifs

Again, a distinction needs to be made: It is always a good idea to look at the possible outcomes of an action that we are considering. However, when we continue to ask “What If” over and over we inhibit our ability to see the picture clearly and move forward.   Here are a few examples of thoughts that might indicate you are playing the What If game:

• What if people reject me?
• What if I try and fail?
• What if I look stupid?
• What if I don’t know how to do it?

Other types of Energy Drainers:

• Procrastinated tasks (these are the things that are hanging over your head)
  • Exercise & Losing Weight
  • Quitting Smoking
  • Cleaning
  • Work projects

It actually takes more energy to procrastinate something that it does to actually do it!

• Emotions tied to the past
  • Guilt
  • Shame
  • People: these are the people that leave you feeling exhausted after spending time together.  Examples include:
    •  Mr/Mrs. MeMeMe
    • The one-upper
    • The downer.

All of these Energy Drainers can inhibit our ability to move forward toward healthier life goals.   We exhaust ourselves when we continue to expend energy on something that is finished.  Wishing about the past and worrying about the future guarantees that you will miss out on the present.   Imagine all the things you could do if you freed up some of the energy that is currently being misdirected.  You already have all the energy you need within you. Reclaim it and unleash your true potential.

What is draining you of your energy?  Are you stuck on something?  Are you a worrier? A procrastinator? I challenge you to take a look at one thing in your life that is draining you of energy.  No matter how big or small the energy drainer, you will be amazed at how freeing it will feel to let go of it.

How?

1.  Identify the Energy Drainer (e.g., worrying about something)
2. Ask yourself, “Is this productive or not?” “How will I benefit from worrying about this?”
3. If no productive results are likely to come…LET IT GO! Make a conscious effort to stop the energy draining thought.

Need help?  Have questions for Sharon? Call 540-349-2791 or email: Sharon@OTACFitness.com.

To quote the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” So too, a weight-loss goal, no matter the size, begins with a series of small steps in the direction of a healthier lifestyle. This article, along with future articles in 2012, will focus on the steps we can take and changes we can make that will lead us to a lean, healthy body. Instead of focusing on the 30 pounds you want to lose, focus instead on the steps needed to support a healthier way of life. Each small step in the direction of healthier eating will empower you to meet your weight-loss goal, resulting in a body that is lean, a mind that is strong and the energy needed to complete your daily activities.

Whether we’re focused on our body or our homes, everyone loves a makeover! There is something exciting about change and improvement. This kitchen makeover is not about new cabinets and granite countertops. It’s about improving the functionality of our kitchens to support our weight-loss goals and fuel our bodies to be the best they can be!

Out with the bad

Getting a new look starts with taking a good look at the food in your kitchen. Read each label, and determine which food items support your move toward healthy eating. Most of us will find we have food in our kitchen that supports our commitment to a healthier lifestyle. Let this serve as a reminder that you’re already taking steps in the right direction!

As you conduct your inventory, you’ll likely discover a number of food items that have little or no nutritional value. So long as these items remain in your kitchen, either you or someone you love will probably eat them. Of course, eating food with little or no nutritional value moves you no closer to your nutritional goals. Go through your pantry, your cabinets, your fridge and your freezer and rid yourself of the foods that have no real nutritional value. Remember: it’s better to dispose of junk than to eat it.

Smarter shopping

Now that you’ve inventoried your kitchen to ensure the food you have there supports your move toward a healthier lifestyle, be sure your next trip to the grocery store supports that goal, too. Remember, old habits die hard. Set yourself up for success in the grocery store by creating a grocery list and sticking to it. Your list should include only foods and drinks that coincide with your nutritional goals. Ask yourself, “If the food isn’t good for me and my family, why buy it in the first place?”  If you feel like you can’t refrain from the cookie aisle, consider calling your order in ahead of time or ordering your groceries online. Our local grocery stores provide this service for a nominal fee; this will save you time, can save you money, and help you avoid impulsive purchases. Ridding your kitchen of unhealthy food choices and keeping them out by shopping wisely are important steps toward maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Smarter choices

Replace the foods that aren’t helping you reach your goals with foods that do. A good strategy is to write down the typical junk foods you have on a regular basis, and next to each one, select a nutritional replacement. Plan ahead for these substitutions; it’s important that it be something you like and can live with. Making food choices that are more beneficial can sometimes require help. You may need to do a little research or seek the help of a professional.

Beyond food

Make your kitchen a fun place to be! There are several simple steps you can take to “build” a kitchen that you’ll enjoy. Among my favorites:

• Turn on some music! Listening to music while preparing meals and as the background when eating serves to enhance the whole dining experience.
• Watch TV. Get one for your kitchen, and enjoy your favorite shows while preparing meals for yourself and your family.
• Have the right equipment. Make sure you have the basic kitchen tools to help you prepare healthy snacks and meals.
• Keep your kitchen clean and de-cluttered. Create an environment where you feel good and you’re much more likely to make better food choices.

Healthy eaters have healthy homes. People who truly want to improve their lifestyle ensure that their environment supports these goals. Changing your surroundings through these simple kitchen makeover steps is one of the best ways to start your health and fitness journey.