Enjoy the Colors

Fall is upon us. The days are cooler, the air is drier, and the leaves are starting their show. It is time for you to get out and enjoy yourself. It is time to find a trail. I recommend finding a trail at your local State Park or check out the National Park Service website or the National Forest Service website for some incredible places to run. I remember hiking up Mt. LaConte in the Great Smoking Mountains National Park. It was a beautiful day. The air was clear, the sun was bright and the views were excellent. As I passed the 4500 foot mark and took note of my increasing heart rate from the altitude, a man came up from behind me. As I was huffing and puffing up this mountain, he ran right on by. Being a flat Lander, I was amazed at the ease this guy passed me. At the top of the mountain, I got to see his reward. He was lounging on a rock, high on a cliff with a view that was nothing short of inspiring. Nice place to have your turn around point.

You do not need a mountain to enjoy the fall. Just head on out to some place with lots of trees. Many cities are building more and more greenways that don not stay green during the fall. Take care not to turn your ankles during you run. Mother Nature may have blanketed the ground with a carpet of reds, oranges, and yellows, but she may have also dropped some big seeds just waiting to be stepped on. As always, let someone know where you are going and when you will be back when heading into the wilderness.

Add Some Variety

Have you ever noticed that when you try a new activity, you feel ten years older the next morning. You wake up and discover that you have muscles that you have not felt in….well maybe you just discovered to begin with. Variety helps build muscle. Are you always sore the day after your regular run or after your normal weight routine? Of course not. Your body has adapted to the stress you apply to it. That is your queue to make a change.



This past weekend, I had my first taste of the Nintendo Wii. As I was getting my butt kicked at boxing by my 5 year old niece, I realized that I was working up a sweat. The next morning, I was hurting bad. Now mind you, the Wii controls weigh next to nothing. The extreme movement that I put myself through was way out of the norm. You should also do that in your workouts.

Here are a few suggestions:
- Run hills instead of flat terrain.
- Run trails instead of roads.
- Vary you speed. You can use telephone poles, driveways or intersections to tell you when to change speed.
- Do a century workout. That is when you reduce your weights to one third of normal and do one set of one hundred reps.
- Cross train in the pool or on your bike.



Mix it up and keep it fun. You will enter a new level of health. Don’t believe me. Check out the blogs of some of our Olympians. They will tell of their tales on Pikes Peak, which is just a few miles from the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, and the workouts the mountain gives them.

Listen to your body – Use your Oxygen Wisely

I could write several topics on this one. I’m going to focus this article on listening to your body while you are running. Back in my high school days on the cross country team, we took off like hound dogs after a fox. Full speed ahead! That was great for the elite guys. For me, it was a short term success followed by an immediate long term failure. It meant I went into oxygen deprivation in about 100 yards. With three miles to go, this meant I set myself up for a lousy finish.

While training for a marathon I discovered something. I would start out slow. Yes, I said start slow (sorry coach). I would then speed up as my body became accustomed to the activity and started to use oxygen more efficiently. After a few weeks, this was completely natural and only took a mile. I was able to run 1 to 2 minutes per mile faster with ease. Also, my form held for up to 15 miles. That made a huge difference in my enjoyment of the run and the amount of time I had to dedicate to the run.

No one said training for the big run was easy, but you can make it more enjoyable.

Just Go for a Walk

So, you want to be a runner? Running is a physical activity requiring nothing more than a good pair of shoes and a sense of adventure. Running can take you to places your SUV can only dream of. From the trails of city greenways to the snow covered peaks of Rocky Mountains. You can stay close to home or run in far and exotic locations. The whole fitness thing is a nice side benefit.


As with any physical activity, you need to consult with your doctor first. Especially see one if you have been on the more sedentary side of the population. I’m not going to boast the benefits of running. You already have an idea. But before I expound my wisdom of how to start, I would like to introduce you to a little motivation.


How about a 76 year old Catholic nun named Sister Madonna (no relation to the one in the tabloids). This woman consistently swims 2.4 miles, bikes 112 miles, and then goes out and runs a short 26.2 mile marathon. Not bad. The moral of the story, if a 76 year old can do all that, then you can go outside and run a few to.


Running is something you want to ease into though. Especially if you are, shall we say, in possession of a lot of real estate around the middle. Just go for a walk. It is that easy. All you need to do is walk. For the first week, just walk. It will get your body use to the sensation of moving. It will also start to condition your joints for your upcoming adventures


Have a great time and enjoy yourself