Beating the blahs!!!!!

You ever just have one of those days were you just feel like doing something but you are trapped in your daily rut and can’t escape???? You try to explain your feelings but nobody seems to understand….Its almost like you are in a jail cell and there is no escape!!!!

Ya, I am having one of those days and it is at this very moment that I start to think about missed opportunities and waisted time and how time is now my enemy…..I know I know blah blah blah boo hoo and all that stuff but is there anybody out there???? or am I alone in my fight against well against I don’t know you tell me what I am fighting against…….is it a fight or am I just complaining?

Mood Management

Don’t wallow in a foul mood. Run, for the gym, and take your headphones.

A recent survey of more than 300 Californians ranked exercise as the surest way out of a bad mood. Listening to music was a close second.

A bad mood has two major components-feelings of tension and low energy–says psychologist Robert Thayer, Ph.D., of Cal State, Long Beach. Exercise’s strong finish confirms Thayer’s previous research–that even a short brisk walk can energize, cut tension, and increase optimism.

Music may work by conditioned response. You associate certain songs with good moods and turn them on when you want out of a bad one. Or, lyrics may distract you from your misery. Moving to music may also release tension.

Thayer found that people combine ways of tension lowering and energy raising for an overall mood-manipulating strategy. The most effective and popular involves relaxation, stress management, cognitive control–giving yourself a pep talk–and exercise. Though men and women equally employ this strategy, they resort to other methods in gender-specific ways.

Men go for distraction and pleasure-seeking activities like sports. Women surrender to passive pursuits like TV or eating–both less effective.

Women also seek social support, emote, or ventilate a problem. Unfortunately, these involve rumination, which may promote depression.

But men are no paragons. They reach more readily for cocktails or drugs, neither of which work very well.

So, I am off to the gym were I can change my mood for the better and I hope to see you closet Blah Blahs there!!!

Nick

Runner’s World 5K Plan for Beginners (6 weeks)

Thinking about taking on a 5K race??? Then read about a training plan for beginners as told by Runners World…..

Plan Overview:

Weekly Routine:

4 days of rest, 3-4 days of running

Weekly Mileage:

6-15 miles

Long Runs:

start at 2 miles, peak at 4

Speedwork:

none

Perks of the Plan:

• Daily emails with your next workout to keep you on track
• Create your own routes or search our library of routes for tracking your workouts
• Map, graph, and share workouts with your friends by email, Facebook, and view in Google Maps or Google Earth
• Upload workouts from one of more than 80 training devices (Garmin, Suunto, Timex, Polar, more) or easily record your workouts manually
• Track your fitness and gain confidence
• Complete nutrition tracking to monitor your diet
• Get support and answers on the message boards

Calendar Snapshot:

Below is an example week of workouts from this training plan. Click each day to expand the section and see the details.

Monday

REST

Welcome to week one of the 5-K training plan for beginners. Each Monday, you?ll get a note about your training for the week ahead. And every day, you’ll get an e-mail reminding you about the workout for the day. As you train, tap into The Loop, our online community at runnersworld.com/theloop, where you?ll find tips on training, nutrition, and injury prevention, and you can connect with other runners and the editors of Runner’s World. In this first week of training, you?ll start with three days of short runs and four days of rest. Each week you?ll run just a little longer than the week before, adding a half mile or so to your weekly runs. Your longest run will be four miles one week before the race. Here?s a guide to this week?s workouts: REST: No running at all. Rest days allow your body to recover and prepare for the miles ahead. You can do some light cross-training with an activity like yoga or swimming, but it’s best not to exercise at all. EASY: This is a comfortable, conversational pace. If you?re huffing and puffing, you?re going too fast. If you get passed by a walker, your pace is probably too easy. Questions about training, nutrition, or injury prevention? Go to runnersworld.com/planquestions. For technical issues, go to support@peaksware.com.

Tuesday

2 Miles

Maintain a comfortable pace that feels easy enough to hold a conversation. If you?re huffing and puffing, you?re going too fast.

Wednesday

REST

Ideally, on rest days you should do no exercise at all. But it?s okay to cross-train with a no-impact activity like stretching, yoga, or swimming.

Thursday

2 Miles

Run at a comfortable, conversational pace.

Friday

REST

Let your body recover so you feel fresh for tomorrow’s run.

Saturday

2 Miles

Maintain a comfortable pace.

Sunday

REST

Take it easy today. Questions about training, nutrition, or injury prevention? Go to runnersworld.com/planquestions. For technical issues, go to support@peaksware.com.

Related articles

• Marathon Monday: Week 2 + Shoes (livelifewholesome.com)
• Weekly Recap- 7/02/12 (thekchronicle.wordpress.com)
• One Mile Marathon: The Movie (joshisaloser.com)
• Social Running Keeps Me On Track (allisonylu.wordpress.com)

How can you get past the excuses and get exercising?

You know you should be exercising. We’ve all heard that physically active people are healthier. They’re less likely to develop heart disease, diabetes, and some cancer, they sleep better, and they feel happier and more energetic. Of course, a fit body looks better, too. But when it comes time to actually get out there and start moving, many of us have a long list of excuses not to exercise — too little time, too little energy, or we simply don’t like to work out.

Exercise Excuse No. 1: “I Don’t Have Time.”

“How much television do you watch?” asks Walter Thompson, PhD, professor of kinesiology and health at Georgia State University

During your shows, use resistance bands, or walk in place. Or use Tivo so you can skip the commercials and see a one-hour show later in just 40 minutes, says James Hill, PhD, co-founder of the National Weight Control Registry: “That’s 20 minutes right there.” Better yet, turn off the TV and spend your newfound time working out.

If it’s work that’s sapping all your spare time, try exercising on the job. Close your office door and jump rope for 10 minutes, or walk in place, Thompson suggests.

Your exercise doesn’t have to be a formal workout either. Try making small lifestyle changes that help you move more: take the stairs instead of the escalator, don’t drive when you can walk, and get a pedometer and try to increase the number of steps you take throughout the day.

The U.S. Surgeon General recommends at least 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week, which may sound daunting, but actually works out to a little over 20 minutes each day. The good news is that three 10-minute exercise sessions work just about as well as one 30-minute one, and can be much easier to fit into your schedule.

People who exercise regularly “make it a habit,” says Hill, who is director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado, Denver. “They haven’t bought any more time during the day than anyone else. What we’ve done is prioritize it. We find time for things we value.”

Tune in tomorrow for Excuse No. 2 and how to overcome it……

Nick