For many goal driven or competitive people, and athletes especially, it seems that the majority of the focus is placed in the future. Attaining that next title, hitting that faster PR, improving...bettering on where you are today at this very moment. That certainly has to be the case for if you don't set your sights any higher you're not all that likely to improve; but at the same time there has to be some kind of balance in that we need to appreciate what we've been able to achieve thus far and acknowledge hard work paid off. Once you finally reach that goal you set it sometimes feels that there is a short period of feeling victorious, yet that is fleeting because of the ever constant drive to improve more and get faster.

That is the nature of the sport and part of the fun; to see just how far you can go, pushing it to the edge of your physical capabilities. Athletes need to continue to refuse to put a ceiling on what they can do and that breaks down time barriers. Still, there is a fine line between striving to reach your personal best and then never being satisfied. I say that in there seems to be a little time line after a monumental race or when one achieves a PR they have been working towards for so long...there is the actual race itself which can range the gamut from 'one of those days' where it feels the stars align and you are actually surprising yourself with each lap eclipsed to the race being the most painful and excruciating experience to date...though once you cross that finish line there is no sweeter kind of pain. After crossing the line there is usually a short time of shock where the reality sets in; you look to the scoreboard (or your watch) to see that the time actually was what you heard...then the elation starts to wash over you, quickly followed by all that lactic acid.

The legs may feel wobbly but generally the elation of it all or satisfaction over-rides the tiredness (for now) and you stay on your feet, congratulate other finishers or teammates and then head off on a cool-down. Usually at this point you are thinking back on the race, going over it in your mind, and yes, you may even allow yourself a sheepishly smug smile...but you can't help it you're excited and deserve to be. That excitement may last the rest of the day, or through the next but at some point it dulls and turns into "where do I go from here?" and you set the bar higher. There are always faster times to achieve, someone you want to beat, titles to be won...so often there is a very short life expectancy on those feelings of satisfaction in your achievement. Hitting those goals inevitably comes with a time stamp.

What can also happen is even in hitting the initial goal you set out to achieve, say a PR, depending on how the race plays out you could wind up crossing that line and actually never feel fulfilled. Maybe you got that PR but got out-kicked in the end; conversely maybe you won the race but you aren't happy with the time. In cases like this it is all too easy to get sucked into a negative frame of mind where you are only left berating yourself, torturously replaying the race through your mind seeing where you could have done something differently, and the fact that you still did reach your goal becomes lost in the shuffle completely. Sure it is warranted to be disappointed, but if you constantly finish a race like that or even after reaching all of your set out goals you never give yourself that pat on the back you are apt to never be happy.

At a certain point it is inevitable that every competitive athlete's career will come to an end; whether that be with a world record or at least an end to any more PR's. Do you want to reach that day having never actually felt genuinely excited or pleased with your efforts? It is only natural, and a part of the sport, to always be on the quest to get faster and improve but never acknowledging a job well done isn't all that healthy either. So bask in those achievements, soak it up for the time being...relish those sweet victories because when they are over you want some positive memories. Of course set your aims higher for the next time around, but also allow yourself the pleasure of living in the moment as well...lactic acid and all.

In the world of distance running it seems there are two kinds of runners: the kickers and the pace-pushers. The former are the ones that are often times thought to be just blessed with the ability to hold on tight for the ride (the race) and then breeze by the poor sap who had led up until about 200 meters to go and then gets to watch as the win goes to someone else. Still, they get the runner-up title, oh and equal amounts of pain from all that lactic acid! Hehe...kidding aside though, having a fast finishing kick is a major benefit to any runner or racer; think of it like a secret weapon to be unleashed when you need that extra gear.

True, some runners are just naturally blessed with more raw speed than others (when I was running I most definitely fell into the category of NOT having it :P) but that doesn't mean that you are a lost cause if up until now you've tended to be the one being passed down the home stretch. If you look at the harriers charging home they usually look like they are running much more 'comfortably' than the others; that doesn't mean they aren't working just as hard but they are holding their form together to be the most efficient. When we tire, our form breaks down, and this only slows us down. At the end of a race you want to stand up tall, relax your face, drop your shoulders so they aren't up to your neck, and let the legs roll...though MUCH easier said than done.

Before you even get to the line though you want to have worked on your finishing kick and that will be doing those shorter intervals and sprints. Don't neglect those 200 meter repeats if you are running a 10k or even a marathon; then you can also do power moves like plyometrics to build strength, explosiveness, and that will translate into speed. Another thing that can improve your finishing kick, and your overall race, are drills; doing quick feet drills that work on a faster turn-over will make you more efficient on the track and you will be able to relax and sprint home. Finally core work and lifting weights will also make you stronger and able to maintain proper form; if your core is weak you'll naturally hunch over as you tire.

Just because you tend to be one of the racers who feel they have to take the pace out from the gun and tire out your opponent, that doesn't necessarily have to always be the case. It was once said that the more confident runners are able to sit back, be patient, and let others do the work because in their mind they know they can out duel them in the end. Now, I'm not saying it's always best to just sit and kick because if you are aiming to hit a certain time you may need to be the one to nudge the pace along; but there are always races for times and races for titles or places. That is another topic all together; but the point is you can be a runner hybrid and possess both the ability to take the lead but still charge home with a fast finishing kick. That is of course an ideal all are working towards but the fastest runners work on all aspects of their sport. So if you want to get a faster finishing kick that means increasing your raw speed and working on you form so that when you are tired you are still able to relax, and dig, then tap into that 'extra' gear.

Whew, well alright running and fitness friends! First, I'm going to apologize for neglecting the blog for a bit; things have been a bit crazy for me the past few weeks but they have started to settle down and hopefully will stay that way for a bit. Although a little life drama is always interesting. :P

In following up to my previous post on summer running training I thought I'd add a few tips to maximize the off season and come back stronger and ready to run fast for cross country season. Many people focus on building up base miles during the summer and it is an ideal time to do so being that usually there aren't as many commitments (school, homework, job, etc.) that require your attention so you may have a little more free time. Getting in longer runs is going to build endurance and cardio, yet while it's okay to step away from structured workouts for awhile you don't want to completely neglect speed and turnover all together.

* End your runs with strides. Pick a few days (probably not on the day when you've already done a long run) where you do a few faster strides at the end of your run. Gradually make each one faster than the last and really concentrate on form and a quick turn over. Allow a full recovery between them, it doesn't matter so much on the specific time as the goal is to just tap into those fast twitch muscle fibers, and do 4-6 strides each of around 150 meters.

* Find that medium paced effort. A medium paced run will be harder than a conversational easy run but not quite at a threshold run or tempo type effort. You want to feel like you are working but not crossing the line over into full-on workout territory; these runs can be longer than what you would do for a tempo run and you will gradually work into the medium pace through the course of the run. For example in a run that is a total of 50 minutes you could start out with an easy pace for the first ten minutes and then begin to up the intensity.

* Add a sprinkle of speed play. Have some fun experimenting with the pace of your regular runs; if you're feeling good maybe do a mile at a faster clip and then ease back into the previous pace. Don't feel like you need to structure anything and even if you do a quick burst to the lamp post that will tap into different muscle groups.

* Take it to the hills. Doing your training runs, even at an easy pace, on particularly hilly terrain will build muscle strength and it will also help prepare you for the rolling courses come cross country season. You can also focus on your hill running technique: running all the way through the crest of the hill, staying up tall, and getting those strides quick and efficient.

* Take advantage of extra time. Yes summer usually comes with vacations and fun events but if you do have any spare time you can address some of the other areas that you may not be able to fit into a packed school schedule. These things would be diligent stretching, mobility drills, core work, and weight training. By doing these exercise routines now you will see results that last you through the next season even if you have to cut back how much you do them during the regular season...think of it like putting money in the bank.

Finally, make sure to have a fun summer! Grab some of your running friends and get to exploring new trails or seeking out places to go. Even if you are only sticking around your home town for the summer it's always nice to end a run with a splash in the lake or even a Slurpee run! ;)

Q: I am training to run a marathon but am not sure about what kind of goal pace I should set for myself. I have seen race projection charts for 5k's and 10k's based on certain workouts but not one for the marathon. Is there a workout I could do to give me an idea for a goal finishing time I should shoot for in my race?

A: That's a great question as an important part of any race is to go in with a concrete goal; that may be a certain time, a finishing place, or to execute a strategy like making each mile get progressively faster. By setting a specific purpose for each race you will be more likely to push yourself harder than if you just went in without one.

In getting back to the marathon specifically, it is a different kind of beast than a mile, 5k, or 10k race for the reason that it is so long and there are many variables to take into account. Of course training for the longer distance will require getting used to running for prolonged periods of time (your long runs will be longer) but you still have to balance in some speed work and tempo runs to maintain the pace you want. Also, everyone's body handles the distance differently and being that you will no doubt need to rehydrate and refuel during the actual race, experimenting with the best sports drinks, energy gels, or foods will come into play. You can't always be certain just how your body will feel on any given day, and this is true for any other race, but in marathon training there are more factors to take into account.

Still, there is actually a nice workout you can do that can give you a projection time to set for in your marathon. In training for the shorter distances it's usually easier to gauge what you should be capable of running in your race because in practice you can generally run the same distance, or near to it, before the actual date of the competition; there are also a myriad of race calculation charts for them. That isn't the case for the marathon being that you usually aren't going to be running 26.2 miles in practice at or near the pace you ultimately want to run.

Yet a common workout that has been proven to be a fairly accurate marker for what you should be able to accomplish come race day is to do 10 x 800 meter repeats on a track. (You could also do it on a marked course.) You will do a 400 meter recovery jog between each repeat and make sure to take that recovery easy, the aim is to just keep moving. Just as with any other interval workout you want to run each 800 at an intense effort but pace yourself so that you are able to finish all the repeats; if anything it's always better to start the first ones a bit conservative and pick it up as you progress to make the last ones your fastest. After you have finished all of the 800's take your overall average for the repeats and that average will then be your projected marathon time; only instead of minutes to seconds it will be hours to minutes. For example if you were to average 3 minutes and 15 seconds for the ten repeats your projected marathon time would be 3 hours and 15 minutes.

Good luck with your upcoming marathon and then with your goal time in place you can work backwards to figure out your pace per mile. Have confidence in knowing you've put in plenty of hard work to get to the starting line and from there give it your best effort!

What really gets you going when you workout? What puts you in the zone or fills you with the urge to just hammer that workout? I'll tell you for me it has to be the feeling that comes from the momentum of a workout not yet done but in which you are hitting pace, you feel 'on' for whatever reason, and you want to test the limits, really push yourself to see just how far you can go. That would be when perhaps I'm in the middle of a tough track session, or a key workout, and that sense of already being on a great run and wanting to finish strong. My favorite workouts are actually tempo runs; I think I like those so much because they mimic a race situation, and as the workout progresses and you try to keep increasing the pace, my competitiveness kicks in and I want to continue negative splitting to see just how fast I can go.

To go one step further I think there is a difference between what fires you up for workouts and then what sets you up mentally for a race. The situations are usually quite different; on race day you usually have the added boost of adrenaline simply from excitement and the energy already present and it's more a matter of channeling that into a positive direction. You don't want to psyche yourself out, but instead psyche yourself up. Picturing yourself in the race and going through your game plan is one way to do it, as imagery is one excellent tool, listening to high energy music is another common method, and there is also the focus on your competitors. Once that gun goes off it seems like all outside things slip away and the key is to hone that focus on staying relaxed, keeping your stride, and then when you start to tire to look at the person ahead of you, maintain form, and dig to not let yourself get gapped. It then becomes a matter of not only physical power and endurance but them mental strength too.

But when it comes to workouts you usually don't have the added boost from the hype of race day and that is often where people fall into the temptation to ease up or never get it in at all. Training is ongoing, it can be tedious at times, and everyone suffers from a lull in motivation at one point or another; though the difference between the people who win races or hit their goals from those who don't comes down to consistent training and being able to keep up their fire for the next run or hard workout. Now, not everyone is 'in training' for a particular event but you are in an ongoing race of life (okay, yes it sounds corny but we should all strive to live an active lifestyle); while it may not be necessary to hit certain target times or paces you still combat the days when you'd rather throw in the towel or skip a trip to the gym. And to be honest, even if you aren't aiming to set a record or win a race it can be fun to test your limits, see how far or fast you can go, and get competitive with yourself.

So in getting back to the original question; what fires you up? It has been proven that listening to loud music actually spurs people to workout harder and to be able to go longer. Taking the focus off of the discomfort is the aim there and a pulsing beat does that; not only does it ease the pain but it sort of almost helps you to embrace it and really dig down. Another thing that can do this is anger...in a healthy amount. Many people find immense relief from a hard day at work or particular frustration by 'sweating it out'...taking that pent up mental angst you feel and making it physical is actually a healthy outlet to dispel anger and stress. You'll end up feeling better even if you aren't able to change the situation at all; that mood lift is also due in part to the release of endorphins while you were exercising.

However you get your competitive juices flowing and whatever gets you out the door, or to the gym, keep it up and also experiment with different techniques. It's been found that working out with a partner also helps combat a lack of motivation; conversely there are people who prefer to be alone with only their thoughts. Something that always help me whether I am not really feeling up to working out or even am midway through a tough workout and start to question if I can continue and am tempted to ease up is to remember how great I will feel once I am done and have completed what I set out to do. If it's a hurdle to just get started I remember that generally once I get past the first few minutes those endorphins will kick in and I'll be more than motivated to get through to the end. If it's on the track I think about finishing and giving it my very best effort; you can't always change if you are having a bad day but if I finish knowing I at least gave it all I had that day I can take something positive away from the workout; however I know that I would be upset with myself if I just instead gave up.

So I now turn to you, what fires you up?

Just a quick post today as I wanted to put out the second installment of the "Top 10 signs you know guys have taken over the house" (you can check out the first if you missed it!) and this one is "When the Front Room Stairs Become Shelves." Obviously once all the available floorspace as been covered there is no other place to house items but the stairs?!?! hehe. At any rate, I did want to let anyone who is interested in seeing the continuation of this series and other cartoon/art related material know that I will actually be moving it over to my Writing and Art Blog as I try to move back into the swing of things since my accident and use this Fitness Stop blog for the fun workout, sports, and health related tips and news.

So for all of those track junkies out there last night was another big step forward for American Distance running in that Chris Solinksy smashed the American Record in the 10,000 meter event down at Stanford. The race was stacked, pacers enlisted, and there was plenty talk of the potential falling of Meb Keflezighi's nine year old record of 27:13.98; but much of the attention was put on Galen Rupp as being the one to do it. This was in fact Solinsky's debut 10k and while he was fit one never really knows what to expect in their first attempt at a distance, especially among such a high caliber field. So when he did take the lead with 800 meters to go I'm sure many a track fans were surprised, cheering him on, but maybe still expecting him to fade or ultimately be overtaken in the end. But the very opposite was the case in he blazed home to win in 26:59.6, which not only established the new AR but crossed the elusive 27 minute threshold making him the fastest 10k harrier ever not of African descent. Not too shabby. :)

The race was so fast that Galen did still eclipse the previous American Record mark in finishing in fourth with 27:10.74. Just ahead of him in third was Sam Chelanga of Liberty who set the new NCAA record with 27:08.39. Also, one of Solinsky's training partners, Simon Bairu, represented Canadians well and with his 27:23.69 for fifth set the bar in the Canadian Record.

In the rest of the meet Shannon Rowbury drew some attention herself in winning the women's 5,000 meters, in which she is still relatively new to the event at usually sticking to the 1,500, as she upset current American Record holder Shalane Flanagan with 150 meters to go and finishing time of 15:00.51. Shalane came in at 15:04.23 and Amy Begley placed third by setting a PR for herself in 15:05.69. So it was quite an exciting night for distance running, and it actually comes off of a thrilling weekend being that the Oregon Relays in Eugene were the night before and Andrew Wheating had an amazing kick to win the 1,500 in 3:37.8.

All of this is quite inspiring and hopefully pumps everyone else up to set and achieve their own fitness goals whether it be in running or even just getting in a certain number of workouts a week. Seeing others achieve their own goals is something we can all look to as motivation. So on that note I hope you all had a great weekend, busted your own sweat even if it wasn't in a record setting attempt, and are looking forward to the start of another week!

the power of visualization and picturing yourself achieving your goals is something that i believe is quite remarkable at keeping you motivated to continuing on the path to reaching your dreams when things get tough or tedious. this is something i've not only heard plenty of successful individuals preach about but have experienced first hand as well. growing up i was always one with an active imagination (yes i had an imaginary friend 'hockey' who must have been quite a klutz being that he broke so many things!) and at a point when my daydreams turned from purely fantasy to perhaps things i envisioned myself achieving i continued on picturing me in the 'future' accomplishing what i set out to do or drawing encouragement from what i envisioned others having done and wanting to follow suit.

when i started competing in track and other running races i found this is something very common and in fact an integral part of training is in mental; you do have to come to the line with a certain degree of confidence in your own training and abilities or you take yourself out of the race before you even start. another aspect is that racing hurts...there is no two ways about it and when that burn does set in one of the best ways to keep pushing onward is to think about how great you will feel at the end should you achieve what you set out to do. this is true in nearly any other parallel; when things start to pile up and you are at the point of breaking what separates those who keep going from those who give up or at least give in and settle? yes, a part of it comes down to natural ability and even luck but a major factor is how much you believe in yourself and that will bring with it a certain amount of fortitude to keep working, keep digging deeper to bring that dream, that vision, to reality.

yes, it doesn't always happen; plenty of people line up in the same race and they all want to win, they all believe they have a shot but of course only one person will cross the line first. yet even though plenty more people may fail at winning that particular race if they continue to have faith in their cause, to still feel the hunger, the desire to pursue their own victories they will put their nose back to the grinding stone and have the courage to come back next time with an equal, or even greater, amount of belief and try again. and even if they didn't win perhaps that wasn't their goal; maybe it was a certain time they had set out to beat and they very well could have done that.

we all have races in our lives and some of them we can choose to enter in, the ones that mean the most to us, or instead dissuade ourselves from doing so because we don't believe it could ever happen. yet people who imagine themselves conquering those goals and picturing what 'could be,' have in my opinion a far greater shot in at least making it to the starting line of the race instead of passing up on it for the fact that it may seem too daunting and the chance of failure too great. and to keep on running and outlast the competition you must have an equal amount of imagination because continuing on in pursuit is even harder than just beginning. there will be obstacles and daily training and tasks will no doubt become tiring and tedious, sometimes even mundane; set backs will tempt you to give up but if you hold tight to the picture of the future you envision you will find the strength, the courage to look forward and put one foot in front of the other.

failure is also something that you will no doubt be met with, no one achieves their goals without having first failed at something; so do not think of it as a deterrent to continue on but perhaps just another barrier to cross or a veer in the course that you will overcome, adapt if necessary, and continue the race to the finish line.

to be quite honest i'm not really one to stay up on current TV shows; yes, of course i've probably upped my viewing hours trifold (if not more!) the last month or so but even then i usually stick to repeats of my favorites. this would be copious amounts of Seinfeld, some Yes, Dear, King of Queens and the like; throw in some nick at nite and i've gotten my daily recommended values of fart jokes, inane observations, corny puns, and maybe even a sappy moral or two thrown in for good measure. but in terms of shows that are actively running i'm not quite up to speed; i missed the boat on Lost entirely, dropped out of 24 after the first season, and many of the shows i haven't even heard of. but one that is new that i'm enjoying in Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution; in fact it's on right now.

what i really admire is not only jamie's vivacity and willingness to take on the glaring problem, one that is seeming to only get worse despite many great efforts of others, of obesity and how we eat but that he is not daunted by statistics, nay sayers, and even failure. he didn't pick a place to do a food overhaul on that was known for being fit or unhealthy but not completely atrocious; no, he picked a place where there are kids who don't even know how to use a knife and fork, some who don't even know what a vegetable is, and to schools where french fries count as vegetables. he dived right in and set the bar high; high enough that he risked failure and he knew it.

this same attitude i think is what is missing in a lot of places; a person wants to achieve something but they don't think they are capable of it or the road ahead looks too hard and they either abandon the goal altogether or set their sights lower. now, they still may be satisfied when they do get to that lower bar but had they tried to aim higher they may have made that mark; who's to say. and even if they failed they still might have wound up right where they did end up but have come out with something more. they may even have be inspired to continue working until they eventually hit the stars. okay, this does sound a bit too overly rosy, but sometimes i think that because we only live once we might as well find what makes us happy and do all that we can to get there. sure we may fail, we may also find out that what we once thought was our dream has shifted, and that's okay too. but if you are going to go after something do it with gusto and all you have.

i like that jamie doesn't see those people who want him to fail or tear him down as reasons to quit but instead as fuel to his fire. he puts himself out there; states insanely high goals and even if he doesn't believe 100% that he can do it he does his best. i'm taking heed to that and it helps me stay positive. ultimately we never know what that future holds but we can at least do our best to sway it in our direction; and who says we have to ever stop working towards our goals. right up until the end we can be moving forward and i think that is far better than standing still.

Racing hurts. No matter if you are an elite athlete with the perfect form, world records under your belt, and making it look like you're not even working. Anyone out there testing their limits will inevitably experience a certain degree of pain before you cross that finish line, it's just a part of racing. Athletes that take part in racing sports, be it running, speed skating, swimming or cycling, when they toe the line they know they are going to be demanding everything from their bodies and to do that will have to push past the pain barrier, testing their threshold.

The pain you feel when you are going at a hard effort is actually a safety mechanism put up by your brain; it senses that your muscles are tiring and will inform you that they are much closer to failing than they ever actually are. You will think you can't possibly go one step further but physiologically you are not in danger the second that your brain starts yelling at you to stop, or even soon thereafter. Everyone has a different pain threshold and some athletes have become famous for their grit, determination, and seem to actually thrive on the pain. Athletes are continually working against that pain to outlast their competitors; the first one to break and give in is going to be finishing behind.

Pushing back your own pain barrier is possible and this will come with practice and also by shifting how you think and interpret those messages coming in from your brain. You don't actually have to like that pain to ignore it or at least be able to partially numb it; and most likely even people who say they like it don't really but have just changed how they think about it. They may not necessarily enjoy the burning in their legs but they tell themselves that the burning represents their ability to inflict the same kind of pain on their competitors and that they will be able to outlast them. They also recognize that by pushing onward when their brain begs them to ease back is going to allow them to achieve their goals. This post alone won't cover all of the tips and ways you can increase your pain threshold but it will be an ongoing topic, and here are a few ways you can start to embrace and push through that pain.

1) Practice. You simulate the pain you will feel on race day in your hard workouts. These are great ways to practice pushing through the uncomfort and still do your best to hit the times and intervals as you tire and your brain tells you to stop. As you continually do this you will get used to ignoring the messages and your tolerance for them will grow.
2) Take confidence from your workouts. As you continue to improve in your workouts and push past the pain cite those especially grueling workouts that you completed as a source of confidence. That way when you do get to the point in a race when you are temped to give up, you can think back to those times and workouts and tell yourself you've already been through this kind of pain before, were able to fight through it then, and you can do it again this time.
3) Think of your goals. Yes, your brain will tell you that it doesn't really matter if you slow down and just take it easy now, so what if you don't hit your intended time or placing, that's okay. But I'll assure you that if you do cave into that voice after the race you will be kicking yourself for doing that. A race is painful, yes, but it doesn't last forever; think of how proud you will be when you finish and know that you gave it your all. Envision that feeling and use it to combat that weak voice telling you to stop.
4) Chant your way to the end. Come up with a mantra that you can focus on when the going gets painful. It should be something rather short, simple, and can even be as corny as, "I think I can." When you block out all other thoughts with a repetitive line you will not only be encouraging yourself but giving that nagging voice tell you to stop less space in your thoughts.

These are just a few ways you can begin working on breaking your own pain barrier and there are many others unique to each individual. As you keep training you will come up with your own mental devices; test out various ones and you'll find which works best for you!

Fitness and achieving your goals really is a personal thing. While you can enlist the help and expertise of a trainer, in the end it comes down to you. You are the one one who has to put on those shoes and work up the sweat whether you head outside or go to the gym. No one, no matter how much they can speak words of encouragement and motivation, is going to do it for you. Self motivation is key, just like achieving anything else, but that isn't necessarily inborn in everyone. Or at least it is directed to different sources for each individual. I may be motivated to get in my daily workouts but if you asked me to get up each day and solve peoples' tax problems I'd be groaning with the best of them. People have different interests and that is fine, that's what makes the world go 'round and keeps us from turning into a planet full of droids.

But in getting back to workout programs, getting in shape, and losing weight, a big factor does come from self commitment, and what you put in is what you'll get back. All too often I'll hear people complaining to their gym trainers or coaches that they just don't want to do it, or they out right refuse to do the exercises, the full amount of time, or the second set of reps. This happened just the other day when a lady was complaining she 'just didn't feel it' and when asked to just do a five minute warm-up she said no. The trainer put in a token effort to persuade her but finally just conceded and moved on. But this isn't right for a few things; one, the trainer should know that warming up is important to prevent injury and also just gets things started of right; two, if the woman is going to PAY someone to train her why waste the money if she's going to do her own thing anyways; and three, it is just disrespectful and the trainer should have told her that if she didn't want to do the fitness program she has planned then she is more than welcomed to go elsewhere or do her own thing. The fact is, I'm sure this lady is the same one who complains that she isn't getting the results she wants and says, "I workout with a trainer and I still can't lose that weight." She'll blame everyone but herself and in the end won't make progress because she isn't will to put forth the effort.

I apologize for the generalization; I don't really know this lady outside of what I observed and perhaps 99% of the time she is a model exercise client and I just caught her on the one time she put up a fight. But I've seen it on sports teams; there is always the person who doesn't want to do the training and argues with the coach, looking for the short cuts when they come. This is hard for the coach because they are never going to be able to provide their best to someone not listening and it's not fair to the team and others who do care enough to do all the work.

I understand that everyone has 'those days'; it is true that there are times your body is overly tired, over worked and stressed, and does need a break. But that's when you work with your coach and trainer to identify WHY. And if you are for the most part one to follow directions, the times you actually do say you are tired then others are much more apt to believe you and take you for your word than if you continually complain. Fitness and achieving your goals can be helped along by proper guidance and motivation from others, but at some level the biggest driving factor has to come from within.

The biggest obstacle standing in your way to achieving your fitness goals and getting in the shape you've always envisioned could very well be yourself! In fact, it is a fact that the brain will tell you to give up, let up, or stop well before your body actually ever will. When you begin to tire during your workout, the fatigue signals your brain to tell you to stop. This is actually a survival technique that is well outdated, as the brain is simply trying to protect the body. So when you begin to get winded during your workout and you're being told that you simply can't go any further, you may do well to simply tell that little voice to stuff it and keep on hoofing it!

We often think of certain feats of strength or achievements as unobtainable. Some imagine a marathon well out of their capabilities, and others shudder at the mere thought of finishing a single mile. Whatever your glass ceiling is, I challenge you to look beyond that as it may come down to a matter of mind over matter. Studies prove that the human body is actually the most evolved and best equipped at handling endurance. Our species may not be able to run at the same speeds as gazelles or cheetahs, but we can keep going long after they tire. This is how citizens in some African and other countries are able to routinely run up to 50 miles a day.

While many of us don't even want to do that, it goes to show what the human body is capable of. It is just a matter of pushing past the discomfort and barriers our own mind sets up for us. In your own workouts and fitness routines, keep this in mind; you will be surprised at how much you can accomplish when you shift your thoughts from, "I'm too tired and I can't go any further" to, "I know I can do it!" It may sound corny, but when you remember that even Oprah, Katie Holmes, and funny man Ryan Reynolds have all finished marathons, it should be further proof that you too can achieve any fitness goals you set out to do!