All posts tagged with: Goals

Hurray! It’s race week. After 17 weeks of training it all comes down to the big day. Hopefully you have made it through training with little or no injuries, or you’ve taken some time off to recover. Remember to get lots of sleep this week, start carb-loading by Wednesday evening, make healthy eating choices, and drink lots of water. If this is your first marathon, or if you’re a veteran, here are some important tips for race day:

1. Wake up early. At least 3 hours before the race so you can hydrate, have breakfast, and arrive at the start line without being rushed. Suggested breakfast: 1 cup of oatmeal with honey, banana, and a 30 oz sports drink.
2. Wear your training gear! Remember, don’t try anything new race day. Wear the same shirt, shorts, socks and shoes that you wore during your training on race day. Remember to use lots of Body Glide.
3. Make sure you have your timing chip on your shoe and your race bib on your shirt before you leave the house. Also make sure you bring your ID, medical card, $20 cash / credit card, hydration belt, and nutrition.
4. Arrive at the marathon start area one hour early. Go to your corral and gear check 30 minutes before start time. Use the washroom. Be ready and in position 5 minutes before start time.
5. Focus on your goal. Set three goals: to cross the finish line, the time you tell your friends that you expect to finish, and your whisper time. Your whisper time if the time you quietly tell yourself as you approach the start line.
6. Listen to your body. It will tell you when it needs nutrition, hydration, when you need to slow down, or when you can speed up. If the pain becomes unbearable, take a walk-break, but keep going. You may need to stretch along the route, especially if it’s a hot day and you become dehydrated.
7. Start off slowly. Most runners make the costly mistake of leaving the start line too quickly. This causes burn-out early in the race. Check your pace 1km into the course; you should be at your exact pace time, otherwise, adjust your speed.
8. Take your walk breaks. If you trained with 10:1 or 20:1 walk-breaks, use them on race day too. Again, nothing changes race day. It’s like any other training run, except today you get a medal at the end of your run.
9. Take advantage of hydration and nutrition stations. Get a drink and fuel your body. 42.2km is a long ways to go and your body needs the energy to get there. Once depleted, it’s almost impossible to boost energy or hydration levels mid-race, so stay on top of it.
10. Upright and standing! Remember, as you approach the finish line to give your biggest smile and throw your arms above your head. You want to show the crowd you are a confident marathon runner and to have a photo finish that you can treasure for the rest of your life. Don’t worry about stopping your pace-watch – do that when they are putting the medal around your neck.

After you’ve crossed the finish line, keep walking, catch your breath, and get a drink of water. Take a moment to recall the great moments of your race. Enjoy the time of being together with other marathoners, friends, family, race organizers and volunteers. Celebrate your success and proudly wear your medal the entire day!

As 2012 comes to a close, it’s a good time to reflect on the year and how you did on your health and fitness goals. It is difficult to stay motivated and on track, but getting to the goal finish line is the most amazing feeling in the world. Have you thought about your goals for 2013?

It’s important to set goals that are measureable. Your health and fitness goals must have specific achievements and be time-bound. Here are some examples:

• Complete the 2013 BMO Vancouver Marathon in 4hrs 25mins.
• Bench press 100lbs by June 2013.
• Sign up for SHRED Bootcamp in January and do five sessions per week four weeks.

Celebrity personal trainer, health and fitness expert, and CFL All-Star, Tommy Europe, wants to help you make your 2013 goals come true. For a limited time only, Tommy is offering 4 Weeks To A New You for just $57 (reg $97). This offer includes a free trial of the VIP SHRED Community.

Here’s a special holiday message and a great core exercise routine from Tommy Europe:

What are your health and fitness goals for 2013?

“Get started right now” says Tommy Europe.
Photo credit: Sarah Amaral /Sarah Amaral Photography

Being healthy is a lifestyle choice. It’s what you eat and the types of exercise you do, and how often you do it. For some, it’s challenging. Others make it part of their daily lives. But sometimes it gets too routine, lacks excitement, or you feel like you’re either not challenged or seeing the results you want.

To keep motivated and challenged, you need to set a goal.

“Have mini goals along the way,” said celebrity personal fitness trainer and past CFL All-Star, Tommy Europe. “The smaller goals will keep you motivated to stay the course. It could take you a year to reach your goal; mini goals along the way will help you reach it. Otherwise you won’t stick through with it.”

Even if you maintain a healthy lifestyle there’s always room for improvement – to take your fitness to a new level.

“Set a challenge,” Tommy stated. “If you’re running a 10k, shoot for your best time. Challenge yourself with weights. Try entering a different kind of competition or workout. Or work with a reputable crossfit trainer.”

As Tommy always stays, the time to get started is right now. Don’t keep putting things off until the new year.

What is your next goal or challenge? Let a comment on this blog post and share with others what you’re going to get started on right away.

Photo Credit: Machua Photography

This summer, be ready for beach weather and have fun doing it. Here are 8 tips to get you started on a sexy, summer body:

1. Set Goals. Goals are specific, measurable and attainable. Write them down and put them somewhere you can see every day.
2. Make A Plan. Block one hour per day in your schedule. Put together a weekly plan with a mix of cardio, core and weights. Each routine will target different muscle groups and help you shape up faster.
3. Join a Group. Working out in a group environment is motivating. From running clinics and boot camps, to yoga classes and soccer teams, each will have professional coaches and instructors to help guide you and provide great tips along the way.
4. Shoes! Go to a store that has professional and knowledgable staff to help you select the right footware. They should feel perfect from the moment you put them on. If there’s discomfort, then they aren’t right for you.
5. Nutrition. Remember the 80/20 rule. 80% of the time, stick to a clean diet of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, proteins and lots of water. Stay away from complex carbs, sugars, and fats.
6. Reward Yourself. Going to massage, the chiropractor and having an Epsom salt bath are all important recovery methods to relax your hard working body. When your training hard you need to help connective tissues, muscles and tissues to rejuvenate.
7. Schedule Rest. Get a good night sleep every night. Lack of sleep leads to low energy and lowers the immune system. Remember, rest days are separate from cross-training days. It’s ok  to take a day off.
8. Love Yourself.  While you are working out every day, remember your doing it because it’s fun and you’re doing it for yourself – not to look like “that guy”. Train for you. Push your personal limits and enjoy the journey.

Eating well, training hard and looking after yourself will pay dividends long-term. Love it, enjoy it and be proud of your accomplishments.

Tommy Europe isn’t your average certified personal trainer and fitness coach. Tommy is a former CFL star turned celebrity trainer who is devoted to helping people get into shape to lead healthy, active lifestyles.

If you are thinking that it’s time to start shedding some of those extra pounds and making better lifestyle choices Tommy’s advice is simple and to the point. Set your goals, get a trainer and stick to the plan.

“Write down your goals,” said Tommy. “Revisit them regularly so you follow your plan and don’t fall short.”

To set your goals, make sure they are attainable, realistic, and measurable. Write down your goals and set a timeline to reach them by.

There are so many different methods to staying in shape from the gym, bootcamp and crossfit, to yoga, Pilates and running. Which one do you choose?

“If you are new to fitness, get a personal trainer,” Tommy explained.

A trainer will work with you to set up routines to help you reach your goals. They will provide you with your exercise plan, give nutrition advice and provide the motivation you need to get to your end result.

“Don’t be discouraged if you don’t like your trainer,” Tommy said, “You might need to try a few until you find the one that is right for you.”

Once you have your personal trainer and an exercise plan that is built for you, what you are eating and when is next.

“Stay on your plan by eating a balanced diet,” Tommy recommended. “You need to fuel your body. Pay attention to what you eat and the portion size. Remember, nutrition is most important.”

Meet with your personal trainer regularily and talk about your goals. Over time they will change, just like your body will change.

“Set your goals,” Tommy said point blank. “Get off your butt and go out and do it. You have to start now.”

When I woke up on Sunday, May 1, I knew my four months of marathon training was about to pay off as I put on my gear to run the 40th Annual BMO Vancouver Marathon.

It was a perfect morning. Clear, blue sunny skies, cooler air for the rain the day prior, and a body that was full of energy for the day’s events.

Every race event I’ve been to has been full of energy, but this one was different. Jay and I had a well thought-out plan for the entire morning, we knew our responsibilities and we were prepared.

Also bringing peace, calm and harmony to the early morning start was seeing so many of the familiar faces of the members from the Denman Running Room who I had spent so much time training with. I put all my trust into their program and I was anxious to feel the results.

Although I had trained for a 3h 30m finish time, I had to re-evaluate after being out of training for over four weeks due to multiple injuries. As a result, I lost out on valuable speed and endurance training. As I approached the start line I was prepared to run with the 3h 45m pace group.

I remember June James from the Running Room telling us you have to set three goal times:

1. To complete the race
2. The goal time you think you will run and be happy with (3:45)
3. Whisper time – the time we secretly tell ourselves we want to achieve when we feel inside we are prepared for our best run day ever.

I had spend the days leading up to race day mentally preparing for “to complete the race”, but when I got up race morning and got to the start line for the 3:45 pace group, the energy felt wrong. Like I had the energy to do better. I shifted to the 3:40 pace group

When the shotgun when off to start the race I crossed the start matt with the 3:40 group. They were running 10 and 1’s; I had trained for 20 and 1’s. My training has taught me to start off slow and to trust the pace bunny’s speed. I did exactly that.

After the first 10km were over I felt like I had got into my rhythm and was ready to excel. From that point I was off on my own, managing the course on my own. I maintained my pace and moved to 20 and 1’s. I was paying attention to my hydration and nutrition levels and felt very confident.

I breezed through all the water and nutrition stations having learned in training that you should never rely on on-course supplies, especially because our bodies have been adapted to using specific products. Race day is not the day to try something new!

Along the route I had planned to see Jay and Ross, which they were anxiously awaiting me at every point and cheered me on. I also saw other friends along the route including Steve. When you see someone you know along the race route who is cheering you on, it gives a giant boost of energy and feeling of purpose, that you instantly forget your pain and continue on with renewed excitement.

During training I had only ran up to 32km. When I hit km 30, I could feel the pain in my legs. I popped an Advil and kept on running.

At km 32, I passed John, another member of my Running Room training group. He was already headed towards km 34.

At the top of the hill at km 33, the furthers point in the entire course from the finish line, my body was screaming for hydration. I stopped at the water station for water but was handed a sport drink. I could feel it instantly upset my stomach, which thankfully only lasted about half a km.

I felt in control the rest of the way through Kits. The crowds along the street helped keep me going.

I knew km 37 – 40 were going to be the toughest. It’s the point in the course with long, steep hills. I couldn’t maintain my 20 and 1 tempo and dropped back to 10 and 1’s. I could feel the lactic acid weighting down my legs and the gels in my stomach starting to sit heavy. By km 38 the 3:40 pace group had caught up.

As I approached the Burrard Bridge the 3:40 pace group over-took me. On the way up the bridge deck I could feel my heart sink as I saw the group get further and further ahead. By the time I had crested the bridge, the 3:40 pace group was easily two full city blocks ahead of me. It was at that point I had to make a decision – finish in advance of 3:40, go for complete.

I chose to go for it and by km 41 I had caught back up to the 3:40 pace group. With only 1.2 km left to go, I asked if there was going to be any more walk breaks and the pace bunny said no because there was only about six minutes left in the run.

Although I was extremely tired, my body was exhausted and my legs were in pain, I knew I had to push on. I mustered up what little energy was left in my body and continued to run ahead of pace towards the finish line.

So many times my body kept asking to take a walk break, but with the cheering from the people lining the streets and knowing I only had moments left before I would complete my first every marathon, I knew I could not stop.

I sprinted the last half kilometer to the finish line. I don’t remember hearing anything other than the beats of the music as my feet pounded forward. I knew there were friends waiting for me.

As I approached the finish line I remembered two key things:

1. To take out my ear buds as I crossed the first matt in advance of the finish line so I could hear them call my name – to which I almost cried
2. To listen to June’s advice to run across the finish line, ‘upright and smiling’, with my arms proudly above my head.

Once I crossed the finish line I wanted my medal so bad. I had worked so hard to wear the blue ribbon around my neck.

Making the moment even more exciting was to see Jeremy greeting me at the finish line. Jeremy was my 3:30 pace leader at the Running Room had he was instrumental in keeping me on track, motivated and focused during training.

Once I caught my breath I walked out of the finishers area and joined up with friends. Knowing there were people waiting to see me after my biggest athletic achievement made me feel so proud.

As accredited media for the BMO Vancouver Marathon, I also had the unique opportunity to be able to be on the finish line at the time Charlie Bewley crossed the finish line. Charlie is best known for playing the character, Demetri, in the Twilight movie series. It was exciting to hear first-hand Charlie’s first words and comments as he completed his ultra-marathon challenage (a 21.1km half marathon followed immediately by a 42.2km full-marathon).

I ended the morning event by rejoining my friends for a celebratory bottle of champagne and hugs.

This was by-far one of the most exciting running events I have ever attended and it was well-worth the four months of dedicated training.

My final stats: 

• Place Overall: 568/3225
• Place in Sex: 470/1827
• Place in Division: 81/246
• Pace in Minutes/km: 5:13
• Finish Time: 3:39:53

On Sunday, May 2 I ran the Vancouver Sun Run.

I did this 10k run two years ago for the first time in 54:35. It was my first time ever running in a race of any kind and I was very proud of my time. In fact, I was the fastest running of all the staff at Sport BC who also raced that year.

This year my goal was to beat my previous time and to finish in under 50 minutes. I am pleased to announce that I smashed my record, coming in at 46:55. That’s a full 7:40 faster than my 2008 run! Overall, I was in the top 4% of racers that day.

Overall, this is a good event. Here are the good points:

• It’s positioned well for beginner runners – that’s why it gets over 50,000 people participating every year.
• The seeded and wave start is great – it breaks up the number of people on the course and really helps stagger people out.
• It’s not a difficult event. It’s mostly flat with a two small hills. The hardest part is coming around and up-over the Burrard Bridge.
• People are there having fun! Most people run with friends, family, co-workers.
• The run takes you from Coal Harbour, over to Stanley Park, through the West End, over to the South side of False Creek and back into Yaletown – so you get to see so many different areas of Vancouver!
• This year they did a great job of getting people over the finish line and clearing the end zone. There were not as many people this year crowding to get over the finish matt.
• There’s a fantastic expo and post-run celebration with lots of sponsors, music, and refreshments. They do a top-knotch job ~ especially this year having it at Concord Place!
• Registration packages were not too bad – great, useful information inside.
• I was very pleased at how quickly race results were posted online! They were up by late afternoon the day of the race (Unlike the Vancouver Marathon which took 2 or 3 business days!)

I am not sure if I will run in this event again. There were some key things that really bothered me about this race:

• I was disappointed that they weren’t doing race registration up until Thursday evening online. I registered late (completely my fault), so I had to go down and register manually – not a big deal – it was still very fast and efficient.
• participants were not accurately seeded into their start lanes. The first wave is for elite racers, the second wave for the individuals who would complete in under 48 minutes, the next wave in under 53 minutes and so on. I notice there were literally hundreds of people who were in the second wave that should have been starting in the third and fourth wave. I think this was due to the fact that they arrived late, did not understand how to get into their category because of all the barricades, etc. This could have been alleviated by having more volunteers closely monitoring the entrance gates to each entry point. If I do run again, I’ll be running in the Elite runners category just so I don’t have to run with the masses (that’s my secret, back off people LOL)
• participants along the race course did not follow the standard rules of the road. Running in an event is similar to driving a car on the road – slower traffic keeps to the right! There were far too many participants who were not keeping to the right and were generally blocking the faster runners by walking / running in groups across the road.
• I think having four water stations was complete over-kill. It’s a 10k run – it’s a little excessive.
• The t-shirts were crap. I would have preferred either a medal or a technical shirt like the Vancouver Marathon (not that I would even wear it again, but still!).
• There should have been official photographers on-route and finish line photographers – and posting the photos to the website tagging people by bib number so they can purchase photos.

Over and above that, I thought it was funny just to observe some of things people were doing and wearing:

• Honestly, a full nylon track-suit isn’t required!
• Don’t drink sport drinks before you run! They are for replacing electrolytes after you run! Any honestly, you don’t need to drink a sports drink after a 10k… regular water will do just fine… you haven’t burned that much water and salt from your body ~ seriously.
• Don’t eat a banana as you are about to take off from the start-line! You’re supposed to do that 30 minutes before you run so that it has time for the sugar to enter your blood stream!
• Again, are running pants really necessary? Dress for the weather. It was ideal weather for shorts! Pants are too heavy and will make you over-heat.
• Oh and people stop wearing cotton! It doesn’t absorb… run in a wicking shirt. You can get great athletic shirts at Lululemon! #justsaying

General running etiquette and helpful tips:

• Be courteous to other participants
• Always thank the volunteers
• Try to smile / wave at spectators
• If you accidentally run into someone (or let’s say knock their iPhone off their arm holster), apologize!
• Just like changing lanes when you drive, shoulder check to see if there’s anyone coming up on your side
• Also, just like when you’re driving, slower traffic keeps to the right.
• If you have to tie up your shoe, pull off to the side and do it. No one wants to trip on you
• It’s OK to walk – just stay to the right.
• When you get to the finish line – keep walking ahead – don’t stop… you’ll be blocking the finish line for other runners
• Constantly be aware of what’s going on around you – plan the route ahead of you – who you are going to pass, and give them lots of room.
• It’s ok to use another runner as a pace buddy, just don’t disrupt their journey to the finish line.
• Have fun!

Now I need to figure out what event I’m going to run in next… perhaps the Underwear Affair?

On Sunday, May 2, I ran the BMO Vancouver 21.1 km Half Marathon.

Background…

I started running recreationally in 2005. Just little runs here and there around my neighbourhood. My dad had got into running and it inspired me. By the spring of 2008 I started running to help me loose weight and get back into shape. Sadly, I injured my legs really badly – I had stress-fractures in both legs, so I had to give up on running for almost two years. In January I finally started running again (well, I took February off for the Olympics).

When I signed up I estimated my time at 2h 05m. My 20 km training run was 1h 46m. I revised my estimated run time around 1h 50m – 2h. In the end, I estimate my running time at 1h 43m (I haven’t found my official time online yet).

Before race day I had done a little bit of preparation. I had reviewed the race route, done two trial runs (a 16 km and a 20 km), and have been going to boot camp the last two months. Generally though, I had not done any real training to run this race – I just decided to give it a try and see what I could do.

My dad has been running for the last 6 or more years and he gave me the friendly reminder to carb-load starting the Friday night before the race – so literally Friday night through Saturday night all I did was eat pasta and protein. I also went to hot yoga on Saturday afternoon to detox, stretch out the body and clear my mind. I was very cognizant not to drink any caffeine or alcohol all weekend and kept up with drinking plenty of water.

Fast forward to race morning…

Jay and I walked over at 6:30am, the race started at 7am. I’m not going to lie – I was honestly nervous all weekend – I just couldn’t wait to get started and get out there. I was excited and wanted to “get ‘er done”.

Right as the race started I realized the music wasn’t working to I had to restart my iPhone, which was extremely frustrating, which also meant that I couldn’t use run-tracker! A few moments later my shoe came untied, so I had to stop for that. The run wasn’t off to an overly great start.

Once all that was sorted out I decided to settle down and just get into the run… right at that moment, it started to rain. I hadn’t run the beginning of the course, so for the first 5 km I was a bit uneasy. Once I got through Chinatown, Gas Town and Coal Harbour I settled down entering into Stanley Park.

At this point it was completely pouring rain and I was concerned about my iPhone and that it would die from getting soaking wet from the rain. It was at that moment that it stopped playing music. I pretty much gave up on my iPhone assuming it got water logged and I was going to have to buy a new one. About 45 seconds later it just started playing music again. Life was good.

I strategically grabbed gel packs and water / gatorade at the recharge stations. I don’t normally take water breaks when I run and I’ve never tried gel packs – turns out I really like the gel packs and will probably continue using them in the future on longer runs.

One of the official photographers took my photo in Stanley Park – I gave him a big smile and wave – I hope I find it online when they post the pictures.

At 13.5 km there is the big hill in Stanley Park – which I climbed without an issue. When I got to the top I saw that one of the runners had given up. I felt bad because he had made it through the hardest part of the course.

Once I got to the top of the hill and started heading down and back out of the park I was feeling confident. I had run pretty consistently with a small group of people who really pulled ahead of me down the hill, but I caught up with them in the West End, but later lost them coming into Yaletown.

At one of the water stations towards the end I felt horrible because I accidentally threw a half a glass of Gatorade on one of the volunteers. I didn’t mean to.

Towards the end I was tired but I knew I had to push onwards. Throughout the entire run I was so deeply moved and motivated by the crowds that lined the race route cheering everyone on. It was really great. I think my favorite sign that I saw said “I made this sign just for you”… obviously meant for no one in particular – it brought a huge smile to my face.

The last 3 or 4 km I was tired but I knew I had to push on; I knew I was almost done. It wasn’t until the last 50 metres that I started to sprint. In hind-sight I would have sprinted the last 1 or 2 kms because I still had a energy left.

Crossing the finish matt was such an incredible feeling. I was overwhelmed with a sense of personal satisfaction and pride. Instantly one of the volunteers put a medal around my neck and I proceeded into the next staging area where I got a “blanket” – which ended up being just a big piece of plastic – it was more than welcomed non-the-less.

After that there was a large water station – which was awesome because this year the BMO Vancouver Marathon partnered with Britta and served only filtered water, no bottles! It’s one of the few marathons in North America that has gone bottle-free.

Once I was out of the end-zone I met up with Jay and slipped into my dry gear. I was so thankful for it. Because of the rain my body temperature dropped so quickly – I couldn’t even put on my gloves – Jay had to help me out. haha

As we were about to leave I ran into one of my fellow boot camp mates and we exchanged notes about the run. We both had a great time.

I knew my body was done had had to get out of the cold and into a hot bath so we quickly left and I went home for a hot epsom salt bath.

People I want to thank…

My dad – for being an inspiration, believing in me, encouraging me to be my best, and for his excellent training advice.

My mentor – for encouraging me to set goals and to achieve them

My boot camp instructors – for helping me with my overall fitness, regularly challenging me, and for their positive support

My friends – for their on-going support and encouragement. It’s great to know that I have friends that want to help me succeed and be there for me to help me through my life’s challenges. Especially Jay, for getting up early to be my race support person – pre-race, on-route, and post-race – that was so great and extremely appreciated.

So where does this leave me…

Next weekend I am going to run the 10 km Sun Run. I did it two years ago and want to smash my previous record.

Overall I’m very pleased with my run. I just kept thinking what my dad said to me the night before, “Remember, you’re out there to have fun”, which was completely true – it kept me going that’s for sure. I also had a personal goal not to stop and to run the entire route – which I also successfully achieved.

This is my biggest personal athletic achievement in life and I’m extremely proud of my accomplishment. I never grew up playing sport, but over the last 3 years healthy living and sport have become very important to me, and I look forward to continuing to grow and reach new goals in the future – that just might include a full marathon one day!

Photos from “big day”…