Benefits from Exercise for Cancer Patients
by: Liz Davies
People undergoing various cancer treatments suffer from numerous side effects ranging from an altered mindset, to exhaustion to insomnia. These side effects are less than enjoyable, but there are ways people with cancer can help themselves improve the symptoms. One way is to keep up with a daily exercise program.
Physical activity is in no way a cure for cancer but it has shown to improve an individual’s health both physically and psychologically. Exercise has already shown to aid in prevention of cancer but recently it has been linked to decreasing the intensity from cancer treatment side effects and the decreasing the likelihood of recurrence.
Cancer treatments, whether surgery, chemotherapy or radiation, obviously aid in killing cancer cells but they have severe effects on the human body. These treatments can kill healthy cells and tissue, making it difficult to recover. Because of this people undergoing cancer treatments are fatigued, stressed and irritable.
Exercise is a way to keep the body active, which in turn improves internal functions or the immune system, respiratory system and circulatory system. When internal functions are working at their highest target it is easier for someone with cancer to cope with therapy and treatments.
Mentally, cancer patients often reveal they feel like their life is uncontrollable when they first hear of their diagnosis. Creating a negative outlook on life after a diagnosis is an easy habit to fall into. When hope is lost, so is optimism.
This negativity inhibits the body to stay healthy. Studies show optimism is linked to healthier people and enables people to heal faster. There are different reasons people believe this but many studies reveal it is because there is a certain chemical balance that produces a hormone that allows the body to stay healthy.
Exercise is a way to produce endorphins which regulates other hormones which are necessary to regulate the other hormones which lead to optimism. Females are twice as likely to develop symptoms of depression so it is particularly vital for female patients to keep an eye on their mental health.
Cancer experts recommend for all patients to stay physically active before, during, and after treatments. This is central for people undergoing all types of treatment, whether it is surgery for breast cancer or chemotherapy for a mesothelioma. Exercise is a key part of the recovery process. Although it is easy to say how important exercise is, it is another thing to find the motivation to keep up with an exercise routine while there is so much on a cancer patient’s plate. Once the first steps are made and patients are able to see the benefits in their health then it becomes easier to find more motivation to keep going and work out more often.
About the author:
Liz Davies (healthylizd@gmail.com) is a recent college graduate and aspiring writer especially interested in health and wellness. She wants to make a difference in people’s lives because she sees how cancer has devastated so many people in this world. Liz also likes running, playing lacrosse, reading and playing with her dog, April.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Once you decide to take control of your health then you will want the best tools to help you achieve your goals...that is what I offer.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
From Warrior Dash to 1st Annual Moss Free Clinic 5K Walk/Run
After finishing the Warrior Dash on Oct 1st with great gusto...I have went and registered for a 5k walk/run event on the 23rd.
Something I am not ashamed to admit is that I do not care for running much...but I do like the way it makes me feel and I know it helps trim me down. So with that being said I will do my best in this race and I am only competing against myself. :)
If you are in the Fredericksburg area and would like to participate with me please let me know and complete your registration through http://www.racetimingunlimited.org/raceinfo/MC11Info.aspx
I am really looking forward to this!
Something I am not ashamed to admit is that I do not care for running much...but I do like the way it makes me feel and I know it helps trim me down. So with that being said I will do my best in this race and I am only competing against myself. :)
If you are in the Fredericksburg area and would like to participate with me please let me know and complete your registration through http://www.racetimingunlimited.org/raceinfo/MC11Info.aspx
I am really looking forward to this!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Reading Food Labels
Do you notice those things on almost every product you purchase in the grocery store? They look like this: 
You may notice that there is a lot of information on this label. Here are some of the basics that you may want to pay attention to when reading a food label.
1. Serving Size--This is the first thing you will see. Notice on this particular label the size is 1 Cup. (this label is for Skim Milk) Many people do not realize how much a cup of liquid is by using the eyeball method...so I implore you to pull out the trusty measuring cup and use it for all liquids that have a calorie content.
2. Servings Per Container--This will give you an idea of how many servings you will get from this particular product. If the servings per container is 10 then over the course of 10 days you could have 1 serving of the item per day. Cereal is one of the best examples for servings per container abuse. Most people never measure their cereal. Next time you sit down to a bowl of your favorite cold cereal pull out the measuring cup again and stick with the serving size as listed on the label. You will be surprised by how "little" the amount seems to be. But don't be discouraged...You can have a serving of cereal, milk and a piece of fruit which will round out the meal quite nicely plus you won't feel deprived from not over filling your cereal bowl. :-)
3. Calories--These are very important because if you are trying to lose weight or maintain your current weight you will need to know how many calories you are consuming and expending daily. (expended calories will have to be covered on another day) In this example the total Calories for 1 cup of skim milk is 80. You would write this down in your food journal because you have measured the 1 cup you know it was 80 calories. You will need to determine your overall daily calorie goal and create your menu to meet the goal.
4. Total Fat--Seems like something very straight forward but many times people aren't sure how much fat they should have in a day. Plus there is the issue of healthy fats versus bad fats. I will tell you this...if you read the ingredient list on the package and it has hydrogenated anything listed you should avoid it. Some of the worst offenders to our body are the hydrogenated oils in many products. In the end you should have a good healthy ratio of fats/carbs and proteins. This varies with each person but over time you can figure out what is best for your body.
5. Saturated Fat--In most cases the lower the better. ;-)
6. Trans Fat--In all cases 0 is the best for this.
7. Cholesterol--Some people need to really watch this number...but we also have to be aware that our body does need some cholesterol to function properly. The healthiest way to obtain cholesterol is probably eggs. If you stick to healthy options for your main nutrition plan cholesterol intake should not be a problem.
8. Sodium--This can be one of the hardest things to control if you are purchasing processed foods. Processed foods are boxed and canned items that have long ingredient lists with lots of chemically processed ingredients. I highly recommend avoiding processed foods if you can. If you follow a nutrition plan that involves you preparing most of your meals from whole healthy ingredients the sodium levels should not be an issue.
9. Total Carbohydrate--Sadly our country has allowed the market to be over-run with carb induced foods. Carb rich foods are cheaper to process and purchase but they can cause problems for our health if we over indulge in them. What are carbohydrate rich foods you ask? Breads, pasta, rice and cereals to name a few. Personally I feel that having 150 grams or less of carbs each day is a good amount for allowing weight loss. As you will find once you start studying your food labels...it does not take a lot of any particular carb rich food item to add up to 150 grams. Many people consume around 300 or more per day which hinders the body's ability to properly burn fat. It also causes insulin spikes which is not something you want.
10. Dietary Fiber--This is a good thing to have...but to much can be harmful. On average women should consume around 25 grams at max per day. Men can get by with around 35 grams. These numbers can be difficult to reach but once you begin to add fiber rich foods into your diet you will see that it is possible and you will feel more full by consuming the fiber rich foods.
11. Sugars--Sugar is something our body uses for healthy brain function. But again as with anything else the amount of sugar needed is not very much. Sugars are essentially carbs and will turn to fat if not burned by the body. Burning these requires physical exercise. We should all try to keep our total sugar intake fairly low and by eating whole natural foods you should not have a problem with sugars.
12. Protein--This is one of the best things we can do for our body. Protein is a basic building block for our muscles. We need it to maintain our muscles which in turn support our body functions in a healthy manner. Protein grams as recommended add up to about 1 gram per pound of lean body mass. Lean body mass is not your total weight. To get an accurate measurement you would need to get your body fat measured. Once you know the total body fat weight you can subtract that from your total weight to find your lean weight. As an example: a 100 pound person with 20% body fat would essentially have 80 lbs of lean muscle mass...this person would do well to consume 60-80grams of protein per day to maintain their muscle mass. If they wanted to build muscle they would add a little more to their diet and workout to keep their muscles in a constant state of growth.
The rest of the food label will have vitamins and minerals. Over time you will learn about which foods are good for calcium, vitamin C, iron, etc. Don't expect to learn it all at once or you may just give up.
Let's take it one step at a time. The next time you go shopping remember to look at those food labels and ingredient lists.
HINT: The perimeter of the grocery store is where most of the natural healthier foods are. :)
You can also find more information on the fda.gove site: http://www.fda.gov/food/labelingnutrition/consumerinformation/ucm078889.htm
As always...if you have questions or comments please feel free to post them and I will get back to you.
You may notice that there is a lot of information on this label. Here are some of the basics that you may want to pay attention to when reading a food label.
1. Serving Size--This is the first thing you will see. Notice on this particular label the size is 1 Cup. (this label is for Skim Milk) Many people do not realize how much a cup of liquid is by using the eyeball method...so I implore you to pull out the trusty measuring cup and use it for all liquids that have a calorie content.
2. Servings Per Container--This will give you an idea of how many servings you will get from this particular product. If the servings per container is 10 then over the course of 10 days you could have 1 serving of the item per day. Cereal is one of the best examples for servings per container abuse. Most people never measure their cereal. Next time you sit down to a bowl of your favorite cold cereal pull out the measuring cup again and stick with the serving size as listed on the label. You will be surprised by how "little" the amount seems to be. But don't be discouraged...You can have a serving of cereal, milk and a piece of fruit which will round out the meal quite nicely plus you won't feel deprived from not over filling your cereal bowl. :-)
3. Calories--These are very important because if you are trying to lose weight or maintain your current weight you will need to know how many calories you are consuming and expending daily. (expended calories will have to be covered on another day) In this example the total Calories for 1 cup of skim milk is 80. You would write this down in your food journal because you have measured the 1 cup you know it was 80 calories. You will need to determine your overall daily calorie goal and create your menu to meet the goal.
4. Total Fat--Seems like something very straight forward but many times people aren't sure how much fat they should have in a day. Plus there is the issue of healthy fats versus bad fats. I will tell you this...if you read the ingredient list on the package and it has hydrogenated anything listed you should avoid it. Some of the worst offenders to our body are the hydrogenated oils in many products. In the end you should have a good healthy ratio of fats/carbs and proteins. This varies with each person but over time you can figure out what is best for your body.
5. Saturated Fat--In most cases the lower the better. ;-)
6. Trans Fat--In all cases 0 is the best for this.
7. Cholesterol--Some people need to really watch this number...but we also have to be aware that our body does need some cholesterol to function properly. The healthiest way to obtain cholesterol is probably eggs. If you stick to healthy options for your main nutrition plan cholesterol intake should not be a problem.
8. Sodium--This can be one of the hardest things to control if you are purchasing processed foods. Processed foods are boxed and canned items that have long ingredient lists with lots of chemically processed ingredients. I highly recommend avoiding processed foods if you can. If you follow a nutrition plan that involves you preparing most of your meals from whole healthy ingredients the sodium levels should not be an issue.
9. Total Carbohydrate--Sadly our country has allowed the market to be over-run with carb induced foods. Carb rich foods are cheaper to process and purchase but they can cause problems for our health if we over indulge in them. What are carbohydrate rich foods you ask? Breads, pasta, rice and cereals to name a few. Personally I feel that having 150 grams or less of carbs each day is a good amount for allowing weight loss. As you will find once you start studying your food labels...it does not take a lot of any particular carb rich food item to add up to 150 grams. Many people consume around 300 or more per day which hinders the body's ability to properly burn fat. It also causes insulin spikes which is not something you want.
10. Dietary Fiber--This is a good thing to have...but to much can be harmful. On average women should consume around 25 grams at max per day. Men can get by with around 35 grams. These numbers can be difficult to reach but once you begin to add fiber rich foods into your diet you will see that it is possible and you will feel more full by consuming the fiber rich foods.
11. Sugars--Sugar is something our body uses for healthy brain function. But again as with anything else the amount of sugar needed is not very much. Sugars are essentially carbs and will turn to fat if not burned by the body. Burning these requires physical exercise. We should all try to keep our total sugar intake fairly low and by eating whole natural foods you should not have a problem with sugars.
12. Protein--This is one of the best things we can do for our body. Protein is a basic building block for our muscles. We need it to maintain our muscles which in turn support our body functions in a healthy manner. Protein grams as recommended add up to about 1 gram per pound of lean body mass. Lean body mass is not your total weight. To get an accurate measurement you would need to get your body fat measured. Once you know the total body fat weight you can subtract that from your total weight to find your lean weight. As an example: a 100 pound person with 20% body fat would essentially have 80 lbs of lean muscle mass...this person would do well to consume 60-80grams of protein per day to maintain their muscle mass. If they wanted to build muscle they would add a little more to their diet and workout to keep their muscles in a constant state of growth.
The rest of the food label will have vitamins and minerals. Over time you will learn about which foods are good for calcium, vitamin C, iron, etc. Don't expect to learn it all at once or you may just give up.
Let's take it one step at a time. The next time you go shopping remember to look at those food labels and ingredient lists.
HINT: The perimeter of the grocery store is where most of the natural healthier foods are. :)
You can also find more information on the fda.gove site: http://www.fda.gov/food/labelingnutrition/consumerinformation/ucm078889.htm
As always...if you have questions or comments please feel free to post them and I will get back to you.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Pay It Forward--FREE Tony Horton Workout
99% of the population needs a nudge with their health and fitness. Give this workout a try and see how easy it is to modify a typical workout to fit any level of fitness.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
P90X2 Pre-Orders begin September 1, 2011
Have you completed a round of P90X? I have!
I am currently on my 4th round of P90X....so what would be the next logical step?
P90X2
Yes...this program is going to be in my house before Christmas just so I can start it on January 1st!
If you would like to join me (from wherever you are) please be sure to get your pre-order in between the 1st and 5th of September through my site www.teambeachbodycoach.com/cindyward
This program is going to ROCK!
I am currently on my 4th round of P90X....so what would be the next logical step?
P90X2
Yes...this program is going to be in my house before Christmas just so I can start it on January 1st!
If you would like to join me (from wherever you are) please be sure to get your pre-order in between the 1st and 5th of September through my site www.teambeachbodycoach.com/cindyward
This program is going to ROCK!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
The Girlz and I are enjoying this Insanity ride!
That 2 week Fit Test was one tough beast! Zilmara and Zarina increased their numbers all the way across the board! I however had a small setback with the Power Jumps...as I have mentioned before...me and excessive jumping do not get along! Ha!
As soon as I got the first jump in, my heart rate shot up and of course the natural course for my body was to weaken...get dizzy and beg me to not do that again! I took several seconds to regroup and I was able to get 14 total Power Jumps in...down from 18 on my first test. The next couple of moves suffered a little because of this setback as well. I really felt like laying on the floor for a few minutes...but I pushed through and increased my numbers for all my other moves. (I did not know my starting numbers at the time either because my daughter was writing our numbers down as we went and we compared them afterwards.)
I went into the test with lifted spirits and I felt confident that I would do better than the first test...and I did...as did Zilmara and Zarina. We have been pushing ourselves through each and every workout for the past 2 weeks and now we can see how it is paying off. We still felt exhausted...but no more exhausted than our first test...the difference was that we improved a lot!
It is amazing what the body can do if you just push it a little more with each workout. My extreme and your extreme are two totally different things I am sure...but knowing that there are limits and heeding them can be the difference between injury and progress. I am very happy with my Insanity progress...I push myself during the workouts and I have improved!
I am really loving this Insanity group that we have and I look forward to the next couple of weeks before I head off to California for my Beachbody Summit trip...then we will be back at it with the MAX workouts! Woohoo!
Let's GOOOOOOOOO!
As soon as I got the first jump in, my heart rate shot up and of course the natural course for my body was to weaken...get dizzy and beg me to not do that again! I took several seconds to regroup and I was able to get 14 total Power Jumps in...down from 18 on my first test. The next couple of moves suffered a little because of this setback as well. I really felt like laying on the floor for a few minutes...but I pushed through and increased my numbers for all my other moves. (I did not know my starting numbers at the time either because my daughter was writing our numbers down as we went and we compared them afterwards.)
I went into the test with lifted spirits and I felt confident that I would do better than the first test...and I did...as did Zilmara and Zarina. We have been pushing ourselves through each and every workout for the past 2 weeks and now we can see how it is paying off. We still felt exhausted...but no more exhausted than our first test...the difference was that we improved a lot!
It is amazing what the body can do if you just push it a little more with each workout. My extreme and your extreme are two totally different things I am sure...but knowing that there are limits and heeding them can be the difference between injury and progress. I am very happy with my Insanity progress...I push myself during the workouts and I have improved!
I am really loving this Insanity group that we have and I look forward to the next couple of weeks before I head off to California for my Beachbody Summit trip...then we will be back at it with the MAX workouts! Woohoo!
Let's GOOOOOOOOO!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Finally getting excited about INSANITY!
The program Insanity produced by Beachbody has intimidated me for more than a year! I purchased the program shortly after it was released and I attempted to get through it, but I came down with a horrible winter cold which lasted for over a month and a half. Thinking back I think I must have had pneumonia or something because I was really out of it for a while! Anyways...I got through 3 weeks at that time...or maybe it was 2...whatever it was I didn't get through the whole thing.
So over the course of time I went back to P90X and loved it...but I knew I needed to focus on my cardio because I really do lack in that department! Well...what better program than Insanity to push me...right? Ha! I could not muster up the will power to do it on my own...not even with my great support network on Teambeachbody.com and Facebook. Oh...what a loser I am!
Then a few months ago I had this great idea...post an ad on craigslist to see if anyone in my local area would want to get together to do Insanity on a regular basis! Great idea! Had a couple people email me but neither of them said they wanted to participate...they just offered suggestions on locations to do the workouts in. My place isn't large enough to hold more than maybe 2 people for this workout so I also was looking to workout in a bigger place. As my fortune would have it...I received a wonderful email from a lady who wanted to workout with me! We talked and she said we could use her basement! Great!
We are in week 2 of Insanity and I get excited everyday thinking about doing the next workout! I never did that before when I tried it on my own. It is really cool to have the other person to help hold you accountable. Especially for me with cardio...since it isn't my favorite type of exercise. This lady & her sister are really ready to do their best with Insanity as well...they are ready to go each evening and they push as hard as I do to do their best!
Sometimes my kids will go with me and last night they both joined us for Pure Cardio...it was great! Tonight we are doing Plyometric Cardio...that one is tough! Heck...who am I fooling...they are all tough...but so worth it!
Oh...did you catch that part...yeah that part right before this part...I said tonight! Some of you may know me as the crazy 4:30am workout woman...well that has ceased. I am now the crazy 8pm workout woman! LOL I am actually liking this schedule except I don't see my husband as much because I come home from work and have maybe 1 hour before I leave home to go do the workout. But I told him it would only be for 60 days....and he is always welcome to join us! He has declined every invitation so far....but maybe he will be inspired to join us at a later date.
So over the course of time I went back to P90X and loved it...but I knew I needed to focus on my cardio because I really do lack in that department! Well...what better program than Insanity to push me...right? Ha! I could not muster up the will power to do it on my own...not even with my great support network on Teambeachbody.com and Facebook. Oh...what a loser I am!
Then a few months ago I had this great idea...post an ad on craigslist to see if anyone in my local area would want to get together to do Insanity on a regular basis! Great idea! Had a couple people email me but neither of them said they wanted to participate...they just offered suggestions on locations to do the workouts in. My place isn't large enough to hold more than maybe 2 people for this workout so I also was looking to workout in a bigger place. As my fortune would have it...I received a wonderful email from a lady who wanted to workout with me! We talked and she said we could use her basement! Great!
We are in week 2 of Insanity and I get excited everyday thinking about doing the next workout! I never did that before when I tried it on my own. It is really cool to have the other person to help hold you accountable. Especially for me with cardio...since it isn't my favorite type of exercise. This lady & her sister are really ready to do their best with Insanity as well...they are ready to go each evening and they push as hard as I do to do their best!
Sometimes my kids will go with me and last night they both joined us for Pure Cardio...it was great! Tonight we are doing Plyometric Cardio...that one is tough! Heck...who am I fooling...they are all tough...but so worth it!
Oh...did you catch that part...yeah that part right before this part...I said tonight! Some of you may know me as the crazy 4:30am workout woman...well that has ceased. I am now the crazy 8pm workout woman! LOL I am actually liking this schedule except I don't see my husband as much because I come home from work and have maybe 1 hour before I leave home to go do the workout. But I told him it would only be for 60 days....and he is always welcome to join us! He has declined every invitation so far....but maybe he will be inspired to join us at a later date.
Monday, May 16, 2011
My first Rugged Maniac 5k Race
A few months ago my husband and I signed up for the Rugged Maniac race being held in Richmond VA (Really it was Petersburg...but they tagged it Richmond). I had wanted to participate in the Warrior Dash last year but didn't. So this event was my first ever of this type. If you are not sure what type of race I am referring to please check out the www.ruggedmaniac.com website to get an idea. It is basically a 5k course with twists, turns and great obstacles.
Before the start of our wave which was 11am we observed several waves leave the starting line...many were very crowded much like ours. After being in a crowded wave of people starting this race we figured we would shoot for a later wave the next time we do this race. The later waves had fewer people...some as few as 5. Having fewer people makes sense because by the time we got to our first obstacle we were waiting in line for almost 10 minutes! That was a bit annoying considering this event promised to not have us waiting in lines for the obstacles (but once I reread the promise it was more like we won't have you waiting in line mid-way through the course...that part was true because the bottle neck at the beginning allowed people to be spread out more!)
Anywho...let's move on...our first obstacle, once we got to it was a series of over/under short walls...no real challenge for most people.
The next set of obstacles were all scattered throughout the wooded trail part of this course. We had some crisscrossed ropes and pipes that we had to get through. There was also a brush type ceiling about 3 feet off the ground that we had to crawl under maybe 12 feet long. And don't let me forget the plastic pipes that we had to scooch through on our bellies. If you had too much girth on your body you would not be getting through those things!
The trail was a standard wooded trail...roots, downed trees, etc along the way. We really had to watch our step because of all the natural obstacles along the way.
Coming out of the woods we hit our first really cool obstacle...the MUD PIT! The people in front of us went along the edge trying to avoid it...we just went straight into it...walked through...trudged out...and then we were amazed that mud caked up to our knees could weigh us down so much! I later witnessed people diving into the pit and covering their entire bodies! For some reason I feel that I would have had to crawl the rest of the way through the course if I had done that!
Our first water station was at this point as well...and I imagine that we were two thirds of the way through the course. There were no distance markers so it was hard to tell.
The next obstacle was a 7-8 foot wall...I hooked myself onto it and hoisted myself up and over...piece of cake! :)
Now we are actually on the motocross track. If you have never seen one you should google some pics...it is basically up and down hills with lots of twists and turns. So we are moving right along up and down and around...we come to a short wall...maybe 4-5 feet...easy peasy!
Getting to the cargo net was exciting until I saw the mats that we were to fall onto from the top of the nets. The mats were questionable as to being safe...but there was someone there to coach us along and he would tell everyone to land in the middle. I had to wait for several women to get their nerve up to jump down...but finally I got my chance and I have to say...I got to the top and realized how high I was...maybe 12 feet, which to me is scary high...but I just threw my legs out and went for it...did a controlled roll off the mat and kept on trudging along!
The water pits were fun...and the water was cold. We eventually made our way to the over/under water area...I went over the first "log" but chose to go under the rest as that seemed much easier except when someone was going over the one I was going under and it pressed down on me some. But no worries...we all made it through just fine. :) Getting out of that one was fun...we had to rope climb up the muddy slope. FUN and much easier than we imagined!
Moving right along we had another 7-8 ft wall...no issues there. The final "obstacle" was a really cool water slide! Get up there..sit your butt down...and let 'er rip! Sliding into the muddy water was rough on the hiney...but no real injuries to speak of. The fire jump at the finish line just gave us a warm sensation and let us know that we were alive and we made it to the end!
All in all I came out with some scraped up knees and a little bruising on my elbows and knees. My husband twisted his knee a little on the trail and has had some pain from that. My overall body pain has been minimal...mainly in my shoulders and arms...nothing in the legs except just a little in the shins. Maybe all the couch to 5k training I have been doing helped!
I would rate this race an A minus. The minus comes from us having to wait at the first obstacle for so long. Outside of that it was AMAZING and I would recommend it to everyone I know.
We loved this so much that we are signing up for the Warrior Dash in October! We would love to form a team...so if anyone wants to commit to that race with us we would be honored to have you join us!
Before the start of our wave which was 11am we observed several waves leave the starting line...many were very crowded much like ours. After being in a crowded wave of people starting this race we figured we would shoot for a later wave the next time we do this race. The later waves had fewer people...some as few as 5. Having fewer people makes sense because by the time we got to our first obstacle we were waiting in line for almost 10 minutes! That was a bit annoying considering this event promised to not have us waiting in lines for the obstacles (but once I reread the promise it was more like we won't have you waiting in line mid-way through the course...that part was true because the bottle neck at the beginning allowed people to be spread out more!)
Anywho...let's move on...our first obstacle, once we got to it was a series of over/under short walls...no real challenge for most people.
The next set of obstacles were all scattered throughout the wooded trail part of this course. We had some crisscrossed ropes and pipes that we had to get through. There was also a brush type ceiling about 3 feet off the ground that we had to crawl under maybe 12 feet long. And don't let me forget the plastic pipes that we had to scooch through on our bellies. If you had too much girth on your body you would not be getting through those things!
The trail was a standard wooded trail...roots, downed trees, etc along the way. We really had to watch our step because of all the natural obstacles along the way.
Coming out of the woods we hit our first really cool obstacle...the MUD PIT! The people in front of us went along the edge trying to avoid it...we just went straight into it...walked through...trudged out...and then we were amazed that mud caked up to our knees could weigh us down so much! I later witnessed people diving into the pit and covering their entire bodies! For some reason I feel that I would have had to crawl the rest of the way through the course if I had done that!
Our first water station was at this point as well...and I imagine that we were two thirds of the way through the course. There were no distance markers so it was hard to tell.
The next obstacle was a 7-8 foot wall...I hooked myself onto it and hoisted myself up and over...piece of cake! :)
Now we are actually on the motocross track. If you have never seen one you should google some pics...it is basically up and down hills with lots of twists and turns. So we are moving right along up and down and around...we come to a short wall...maybe 4-5 feet...easy peasy!
Getting to the cargo net was exciting until I saw the mats that we were to fall onto from the top of the nets. The mats were questionable as to being safe...but there was someone there to coach us along and he would tell everyone to land in the middle. I had to wait for several women to get their nerve up to jump down...but finally I got my chance and I have to say...I got to the top and realized how high I was...maybe 12 feet, which to me is scary high...but I just threw my legs out and went for it...did a controlled roll off the mat and kept on trudging along!
The water pits were fun...and the water was cold. We eventually made our way to the over/under water area...I went over the first "log" but chose to go under the rest as that seemed much easier except when someone was going over the one I was going under and it pressed down on me some. But no worries...we all made it through just fine. :) Getting out of that one was fun...we had to rope climb up the muddy slope. FUN and much easier than we imagined!
Moving right along we had another 7-8 ft wall...no issues there. The final "obstacle" was a really cool water slide! Get up there..sit your butt down...and let 'er rip! Sliding into the muddy water was rough on the hiney...but no real injuries to speak of. The fire jump at the finish line just gave us a warm sensation and let us know that we were alive and we made it to the end!
All in all I came out with some scraped up knees and a little bruising on my elbows and knees. My husband twisted his knee a little on the trail and has had some pain from that. My overall body pain has been minimal...mainly in my shoulders and arms...nothing in the legs except just a little in the shins. Maybe all the couch to 5k training I have been doing helped!
I would rate this race an A minus. The minus comes from us having to wait at the first obstacle for so long. Outside of that it was AMAZING and I would recommend it to everyone I know.
We loved this so much that we are signing up for the Warrior Dash in October! We would love to form a team...so if anyone wants to commit to that race with us we would be honored to have you join us!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Lost it for a minute...
Late last year I decided to put my nose to the grindstone and push through until my birthday...my plan was to be in the best shape of my life by my Birthday. Did I do it? Well some would say "you sure did...look at you...you are slim and trim and dedicated to your fitness!" But then in my mind I would have to throw up some questions to myself...like:
Did you stick to your scheduled workout plan?
Not exactly...those "recovery" weeks with the P90X plan really do require so much more from me...they take away weight lifting and mix in more cardio. And did I mention I don't get overly excited about the cardio stuff? Well for the most part I was on track with the program schedule...but I would "slack off" during my recovery weeks.
Did you adhere to the nutrition plan?
Um...but there were the holidays to contend with! Oh...yeah...that one threw me off a bit. My nutrition was not up to par for the whole 90 days therefore I was left feeling like I did not really do my best.
With this being said I rolled into my 40th year in very good shape....but I honestly am not sure I can say the best shape of my life.
Since my Birthday celebrations...I tend to over-celebrate for my Birthdays...I have put on a few pounds...and it went straight to my waist line! Ughhh. Most people don't seem to notice or they are just being nice and not saying anything...LOL! It really doesn't matter because I know the truth....I need to lose about 10-15 lbs!
Putting this out here for you all to ponder upon is somewhat of a challenge for me. One thing I will clue you in on with me...when I get quiet on facebook, twitter and my blog...that is usually when I am not living up to the standards that I have set for myself. I know these standards are not too high as some would try to make me believe. I mean come on...eat healthy everyday with 1 cheat meal each week mixed in so I don't go crazy....exercise 5-6 days per week and do my best to help others achieve success with their fitness goals. These things are not that difficult...I have been pretty good with these things for a long time....but I do have my down times and I feel the need to share this with you all today.
For now...starting today...I am doing my best to pick myself up and dust myself off...I will be logging my food into myfitnesspal.com so that I will not be so easily tempted by the other things that are around my office to snack on. If I have a plan I can usually stick to it...part of my problem was I wasn't planning my nutrition and would end up eating whatever was in front of me. Bad Cindy...Bad Cindy!
Secondly I will recommit to 6 days of regular exercise with RevAbs and I may mix in some C25K runs if my foot allows me to.
I will also continue to support my friends who are counting on me for the extra motivation they may need from time to time to make the right choices for their nutrition and exercise.
Getting back into the groove is not impossible...it just takes some focus and effort...both of which I have now!
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog.
Did you stick to your scheduled workout plan?
Not exactly...those "recovery" weeks with the P90X plan really do require so much more from me...they take away weight lifting and mix in more cardio. And did I mention I don't get overly excited about the cardio stuff? Well for the most part I was on track with the program schedule...but I would "slack off" during my recovery weeks.
Did you adhere to the nutrition plan?
Um...but there were the holidays to contend with! Oh...yeah...that one threw me off a bit. My nutrition was not up to par for the whole 90 days therefore I was left feeling like I did not really do my best.
With this being said I rolled into my 40th year in very good shape....but I honestly am not sure I can say the best shape of my life.
Since my Birthday celebrations...I tend to over-celebrate for my Birthdays...I have put on a few pounds...and it went straight to my waist line! Ughhh. Most people don't seem to notice or they are just being nice and not saying anything...LOL! It really doesn't matter because I know the truth....I need to lose about 10-15 lbs!
Putting this out here for you all to ponder upon is somewhat of a challenge for me. One thing I will clue you in on with me...when I get quiet on facebook, twitter and my blog...that is usually when I am not living up to the standards that I have set for myself. I know these standards are not too high as some would try to make me believe. I mean come on...eat healthy everyday with 1 cheat meal each week mixed in so I don't go crazy....exercise 5-6 days per week and do my best to help others achieve success with their fitness goals. These things are not that difficult...I have been pretty good with these things for a long time....but I do have my down times and I feel the need to share this with you all today.
For now...starting today...I am doing my best to pick myself up and dust myself off...I will be logging my food into myfitnesspal.com so that I will not be so easily tempted by the other things that are around my office to snack on. If I have a plan I can usually stick to it...part of my problem was I wasn't planning my nutrition and would end up eating whatever was in front of me. Bad Cindy...Bad Cindy!
Secondly I will recommit to 6 days of regular exercise with RevAbs and I may mix in some C25K runs if my foot allows me to.
I will also continue to support my friends who are counting on me for the extra motivation they may need from time to time to make the right choices for their nutrition and exercise.
Getting back into the groove is not impossible...it just takes some focus and effort...both of which I have now!
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Is it time to begin your journey?
This opportunity has been a blessing to me and my family. I want to share it with everyone so that they too can reap the benefits from it.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Find someone already doing what you want to do and follow their lead!
Mike and Tami are one of my biggest inspirations...they are all about helping others achieve success and that is my main goal being a Coach with Beachbody! This opportunity is amazing and more people should take advantage of it!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
How do you set your Goals?
Over the past few weeks I have been organizing my goals for this new year. I have set health & fitness goals as well as personal and business goals. The following is how I organize my goals...maybe it will help you too.
First off I create my BIG Goal for the year...Highlight it and make it big!
Then I use a break-out method to bring the big goal home. I set short term attainable goals that will lead me to the big one. For example...I want to get to 14-15% bodyfat by the end of the year...so that is my big goal. Here is how I will go about making it happen:
First off I create my BIG Goal for the year...Highlight it and make it big!
Then I use a break-out method to bring the big goal home. I set short term attainable goals that will lead me to the big one. For example...I want to get to 14-15% bodyfat by the end of the year...so that is my big goal. Here is how I will go about making it happen:
- Setup my workout schedule using the WOWY SuperGym...then make sure I login everyday and get the workout done!
- Use myfitnesspal.com to organize and track my nutrition everyday. Maintaining my healthy eating is key!
- Avoid fast foods and processed foods.
- Use all of the programs I have to perform my exercise each day...programs like P90X, ChaLean Extreme, Insanity and Tony Horton One on One workouts. Each of these is designed to cover it all!
- Take my accountability pics at least once per month.
- Participate with my Accountability group on Facebook. We have weekly Chats scheduled and we all are sharing our goals with each other...this really helps with accountability.
As you can see...these are small goals that will lead to the big goal. Things that I must do in order to be successful with my goal to reach the bodyfat % I seek! I will also be using the help of my friends and family...we can all help each other when it comes to being healthier and making the right choices along the way. Even if we mess up every once in a while...we can still bounce back and get back on track with the support of others.
I hope this helps you in some way or other. Maybe you have your own way of setting and reaching goals...please feel free to share with everyone...you never know how it can help someone else. We are not all the same and one way may work for me but not for everyone. :)
Cheers to a wonderful New Year...2011 is going to be the BEST Ever!
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