Shoes from Specialty Running Stores

If you are a runner, even a beginner who has yet to claim the "runner" title, it is definitely worth your time to go to a specialty running shoe store to find shoes that are truly made for your feet and gait. Now I have been through many pairs of running shoes over the years... kind of obsessively. Not a heel girl, but definitely have some Imelda Marcos in me with my selection of fitness shoes. I used to only buy my running shoes based on how they looked. They had to be cute, have great color, typically needed a certain swoosh, and that was all that mattered. As time went on, they also had to be comfy, but I still required the cuteness factor.

In my old-er, wise-er years and after four knee surgeries, I finally decided to do some more research on what are the best running shoes for my feet and also for my joints. I sought out a speciality running store that awakened me to a wealth of knowledge. Wow! Talk about an experience that has made working out so much more comfortable and pain free.

So what's involved in the specialty running shoe experience? First, it's personal. The sales person asks about your activity (high intensity/lots), mileage (not much!), and what concerns I had about my shoes. I said they have to be versatile enough for running or circuit training, enough cushion for my achy knee joints, and of course, they had to be cute! I'm sure the guy was rolling his eyes at that requirement. Second, they put me on a treadmill with a camera behind to video tape my running form and to look at my foot strike.  Prognosis- supinator & moderately high arches. That would mean I would need a neutral shoe.  I didn't know there was such a thing as a neutral shoe. I knew the difference between supination and pronation, but didn't know the population tended to trend in a certain way. Yep, I'm an oddball once again! Apparently the large majority of the population are pronators, which means the ankle rolls in more upon heel strike. There are a wider selection and style of running shoes made for that population of pronators. Unfortunately, I'm one who supinatesand therefore my ankle rolls out more and I tend to have a lot of pressure on the outside metatarsals. The bummer about this is there isn't a wide selection of neutral shoes out there, and to be honest, they look like bricks! Ugh!

So the salesperson brings out a couple styles of neutral shoes for me to try on. First impression, UGGGGLY! They look like bricks, and one of the two that he brought out were gold and green. Um, gold isn't really my color. I'll leave those to the leprechauns...  So trying to have an open mind (yeah right!), I try the first pair on and miraculously, I am so dumbfounded on how comfortable they are! What a difference to have shoes on your feet that actually feel like they were made for your feet. Plenty of cush and comfort! I did another treadmill test and realized these were definitely the properfit shoes for my feet. Awesome! Now, the only thing holding me up--- had to buy the other blue pair because my last requirement was they had to be cute! Mission accomplished.

Such a wealth of knowledge that I learned and now when I buy a new pair of running shoes, I know to look for the neutral styles. I've tried a few different brands and styles and now have it narrowed down so I am confident in buying a pair online and having them fit like a glove with all the comfort.

I strongly suggest you seek out your local speciality running shoe store before you purchase your next pair of running shoes. It is time so well worth spent and the information was invaluable!

Happy running or training!

THAT Organic Thing

As a health & fitness professional, I strive to be a strong advocate for healthy food choices (DUH!).  I find myself continually researching the world of health and nutrition and sometimes it's information overload, and at times there's a nugget I find that gives me that "ah, ha" moment.

For years I have been one to roll my eyes at the "organic" thing that has been ever increasing in popularity, and at times, seems to be the trendy thing.  I felt people had a false sense of 'better' if they tended to eat food that was organic.  I mean, there seems to be WAY too long of a list of things that could cause cancer, right?  We can't be safe from it all and also can't be living in fear at all times.  Plus, that organic stuff is expensive!  I also think that since my parents came from the hippie days and talked about 'organic living' in many forms, I wanted to steer as far away as possible.  If you're from the Pacific Northwest, you may be familiar with the store PCC and until recently, the only thing I knew about PCC was that my mom shopped there back in her hippie days so therefore PCC = hippie (organic) = mom = steer clear!!!  That's funny to think about now as it has quite the amazing selection of quality food.

After thoroughly taking time to educate myself, which we all should do, there are a few keys that help me understand why we need to make healthier food choices and why organic food can be a better choice and shouldn't have my negative stigma to it.  First, farming today is not the same as it used to be. No one can argue this.  Nothing against the hard working farmers out there trying to make a living, but the nutritional value isn't the same.  With the amount of pesticides, hormones, genetic alterations, etc., food just isn't what it used to be.  We lack in the nutritional value that we need on a regular basis. Secondly, researchers are finding connections and potential health concerns specifically with the pesticides used on fruits and vegetables and the hormones that are used and pumped into the animals of the meat we eat.  This was my latest "ah, ha" moment and kind of freaked me out.  A current article stated that girls were starting puberty at a younger and younger age and stated a possible link with "hormone-like environmental chemicals."  As the mother of a young girl, I am very concerned with this.

With regards to my own food choices, I have always been a person to eat most everything but have gotten pickier as I have gotten older because of how much information I have learned.  I now get and respect the reasons why people decide to eat vegan, vegetarian, kosher, organic or otherwise.  Now, I know many of you are thinking you just don't want to know this stuff because you want to enjoy those delectable, mouth watering foods, but you should really know what you are consuming so you can make better informed choices.  

Now not to gross you all out but there are a few experiences and some information learned over the years that has put me on a path to seek out more information relating to what I put in my mouth.  I do not judge anyone by what they choose to eat, I just hope we all take the time to self educate ourselves.  Here are a few of my personal moments that have shaped and changed the way I eat--

My first moment was in college.  I had a philosophy class where we looked at the philosophical and graphic nature of slaughter houses, and I believe I was vegetarian for about a month after that information set in.  I then read too much on pork and decided I may want to look into becoming Jewish as I think I can only eat kosher meat from that point on... Well I didn't become Jewish, but still won't touch pork.  And gelatin-- don't shoot the messenger, but do you know exactly what this substance is and how it is made (check your food labels as it's in many products)?  Here's a wiki definition for you, "Gelatin is a translucent, colorless, tasteless solid substance, derived from the collagen inside animals' skin and bones." It's made primarily from the stuff meat industries have left over.  We're talking about pork skins and cattle bones.  Anyone want some Jell-O or gummy worms?  I'm also a HUGE fan of eggs. I trip out a little now if I think too much about them, and that I've had several encounters where I was on the freeway and see the huge semi-truck next to me loaded with chickens in about eight inch high palette-like cages traveling down the road... Is that humane?  I don't want to even get started on the mass production of egg laying.  And lastly, I have not seen the movie Food Inc., YET, but after all these encounters and information, I am concerned I will only consume a handful of foods without getting nauseous.

So many of you are probably thinking that this crazy lady thinks too much about this stuff and you may not care to know all the details of the food you eat, but some of you may want to investigate further. Organic is not a taboo term for me anymore and I definitely believe in being proactive in knowing the nutritional value and quality of the food we eat.

Here are a few tips to getting and eating quality food:

1.  Search out your local CSA (Community Sustained/Supported Agriculture) program. This is where you can get locally grown produce and organic or grass-fed meats from your community.  Less time travelling on a truck or being stored = more quality produce/meat and less need for pesticides, preservatives, hormones, and other added junk...  Plus, you support YOUR community, YOUR farmers!  Thanks to one of our fans for referring a local CSA, Full Circle to us in the Pacific Northwest.

2. Know the dirty dozen, which are 12 priority foods to buy organic.  These foods have thinner skin or the skin is consumed and therefore has a higher chance of being contaminated with pesticides.

3.  Consider making a trip to buy organic, cage free eggs.  Many stores now carry them, but do your investigating as not all are the same.  You may want to consider going local to the farm or farmers market to pick some up.

4.  Buying organic can be expensive so do your research. Your local grocery 'natural food' section may be the spendiest and not be the best place to purchase organic food. Their prices can vary greatly so do your price comparing and shop around.  Buy in-season, buy in bulk, and don't be afraid to freeze those quality foods.

5. Grow your own!  Starting a garden with your own fruits and veggies is fun for the whole family and you know exactly what you are consuming and how it's grown from start to finish.

My hope is that more of us will consider spending some more time paying attention to what we are consuming on a daily basis and investigating further the quality of food.  Your health is worth the extra time and buck!  We all deserve to fuel the body in the most quality, efficient way.

Best in health-

Spring Goal Renovation

Well it's spring time, I think, as the weather isn't looking very spring-like here but the calendar says it is. You may have been doing some spring cleaning or be looking ahead to swimsuit season (you too guys!)-- is it really only two months away??  Some of you started off the year with some really astonishing BHAG's (Big, Hairy, Audacious, Goals) only to find it springtime and you are dwindling away from staying on track.  No worries, there is always time to push reset and get back on track.  Goals always need constant attention.  Maybe you just need a spring renovation for your goals?  

In the spirit of spring, are you taking a closer look to see if those goals could use some more love, attention, and maybe some tweaking?  Spring cleaning includes removing the clutter so you can stay focused and find the things that help move you forward and do not weigh you down.

Tips for spring renovation:

1. Make sure goals are written down and posted somewhere you see daily. This could be written down on a small piece of paper and kept in your wallet, or it could be a post-it note on your bathroom mirror, or maybe you have a lavish goal poster hung up with all your inspiration.  Whatever you choose, make sure it works for you and you see it daily. Don't just say, you have these in your head as a mental note.  Write them down!

2. Goals need realistic deadlines.  Maybe your end goal is long term, but it should have a realistic deadline.  Those little steps in reaching your large goal should also have deadlines.  Now it may not be the end of the world if you don't reach these goals on time, but you must hold yourself accountable and put a realistic date to it.  If you are far off from those deadlines this spring, then re-adjust and get back on track.  There isn't anything wrong with putting a new date to it... unless you keep changing the date and it becomes a habit :).

3.  Don't get discouraged.  I know that sometimes that is easier said than done, but you can reach the summit!  No one but yourself can hold you back. You may question at this point if it is achievable or cast doubt if that goal is attainable, but have an honest conversation with yourself or someone you trust to really find out if it is truly important to you.  Get after it and persevere!  You need to also recognize partial accomplishment even if you are just off the mark.  You may need to break down some of those goals into more manageable steps.  Find a healthy balance where you can get back on track.

4. Drop them like it's hot and get rid of the negative, unsupportive people.  Well some of them may be family so you can't quite eliminate them, but you can choose to not let them bring you down or put roadblocks up for you.  Find supportive people that you trust and can give healthy encouragement along the way.

5.  Draw up new plans.  You are the architect for your life and sometimes that requires getting new plans.  Maybe the goal you started off with has changed over time and you now seek a different path? Maybe you need to knock down a few walls for a true breakthrough that screams YOU!  Always evaluate and re-evaluate your progress.

Lululemon recently had a blog entry that inspired this post and I love their last statement.  "Next to breaking a sweat, goal setting is the best way to up the resale value on one of your greatest assets: yourself! Remember to have some fun while you're at it.  What are you busy renovating?"

Best in health-
 

Spring Workouts- The Latest Playlist

It is definitely spring with crazy weather in the Pacific Northwest.  You can get sun, rain, hail, snow, & then repeat all in one day!  Spring workouts get creative around here, especially anything outdoors.  Come prepared for ANY weather condition.  With that, we needed some new tunes to motivate this spring. 

Itunes offered an amazing FREE sampler from the SXSW festival that included various genres of up and coming artists.  If you get a chance, you'll want to check out and download yourself for some great new stuff.  We also had to bring back some older hip hop to spice it up.

Here is our latest list to launch you into bikini-ready prep mode... Summer is coming!  Enjoy!

 
  

Happy listening!  

 

Double Dare Challenge

We are all up for a challenge, right?  Well I'm a little more competitive, so challenge me at most times, and I am in!  The instructor in my spin class is great at inspiring and motivating.  He's a positive individual and finds a way to get your mind off the workout, yet challenge you to push yourself out of your comfort zone.  Yesterday, he challenged us, no matter what our religious affiliation, to start the season of lent with a health and fitness challenge.  I love it!!!  So I thought the Dynamic Edge crew could join me along the journey.  Some of you need a reboot after drifting away from those good intentioned new year's resolutions... yeah, I'm talking to you!

Double Dare Challenge for next 40 Days-  Give up something that is good TO you, but not good FOR you!!!  Read that again to let it sink in.  It doesn't have to be food related, but that could be a big one.  Also, think about wellness factors and bad habits that may not be the best for you.  Are you getting enough sleep?  Are there individuals that you are surrounding yourself with that could be sabotaging your progress towards your goals?  Are you scheduling ME time in so you can have some sanity on a daily basis?  Think through and find something that you will choose to give up for 40 days.  Make it challenging, but realistic.  You don't want to set yourself up for failure if it's a lofty one, but you also want to find a true challenge.  Also, grab a friend or someone close to you to join you so you can keep each other accountable.  40 days is a trek and most need someone to keep them on track.

My challenge- You see Starbucks and I have a love/hate relationship.  I don't like coffee and don't drink much caffeine, but I do like a warm beverage in my hand which usually includes a single, grande, vanilla, soy latte.  I like the warm toasty in my hand and it satisfies my sweet urge.  This choice also results in a lofty $4 a drink price tag.  Ouch!  I can make this trip to Starbucks 3-4 times/week.  That adds up, and do I really need the latte?  No, it's good TO me, but not really FOR me.  Latte OUT (again!, as I gave it up for 30 days in Jan too...)!!!

Second additional item for me are the miscellaneous, usually sweet, snacks around late afternoon.  That is my low energy part of day and I really get the sweet cravings then.  I tend to go for a couple chocolate covered blueberries that are oh so yummy from Costco.  The problem is, those couple turn into a couple trips.  Yikes!  I also feel yucky after I eat them, so why go for them?  Random late-afternoon pick-me-ups OUT!

So who's joining me in the 40 Day double dare journey and what are you giving up that's good TO you, but not FOR you??

Best in health-