One of the best ways to control, slim down, or just help you cardiovascular shape is to run, jog or walk.  By doing that you increase strength, endurance and overall well being.  A cool new way to get into running has started to take shape and it's called "Couch to 5K."  A 5k is a 5000 meter race or 3.1 miles, the most popular type of running races that you will find anywhere.  Couch to 5K is a way for a person, who has never run or hasn't run in a long time, to get off the couch and start putting their feet to the pavement!  There are many websites, but here is one that I have found that is pretty cool and very easy to follow:

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

      If you are not a runner, or running is not something that interests you, try walking during dusk.  By taking the steps to become a more healthy person, you are dropping your risks of dealing with health problems later in life.  I will have more on ways to get involved in the community of fitness that is Shreveport-Bossier in the coming weeks.  From triathlons to 5Ks to weight training, we will take a look at everything.  For now, just take that first step to becoming a more fit and healthy person, for you and your family!  Good luck.

-Colin

Before starting any exercise, diet or health routine, first consult your physician to make sure that your body is healthy enough for physical activity.

  

I decided to start this health and training column as a way to help our community become more attune to the epidemic of obesity, laziness, and apathy towards poor health.  According to an article by the LA Times, the worldwide obesity rate has almost doubled since 1980.  The United States currently has the highest BMI or body mass index.    I am not a personal trainer.  I am not a dietician.  I am just a person who has been physically active ever since my legs could hold me upright and I could start running around terrorizing our family dogs, Roscoe and Jasper.  I played baseball from the time I was three all the way through my senior year in college at Belhaven.  From there, my sole focus started on the next "challenge" I could find.  That next challenge is endurance sports.  I am a triathlete.  I have been called "the most competitive person ever" along with "crazy" and "psycho" when it relates to physical activity.  I take pride in this because I am incredibly competitive and I love measuring myself against the previous day.  The US Navy Seals have a saying, "The only easy day was yesterday."  In a sense, I love to train.  I love to swim, I love to bike and I love to run.  Put those three together and it gets my blood boiling for the next race.  I am not saying that you need to be like me, this is who God made me.  I am just trying to provide help to our community help reverse the downward trend towards physical activity.  So with that here is the first entry in the Triathlon Training & Fitness Column.  

#1 Do it to it   My triathlon training partners in Lubbock and I always had an abbreviated saying of "do it to it."  It basically means, get up, get moving, meet your next goal/challenge/time.  For you, it might be to be able to walk a mile.  It might be able to wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and ready to start the day with natural energy.  It might be to run an Ironman.  Whatever your goal might be, it all starts as soon as YOU choose to get going.  The hardest and best part of anything related to fitness is that first step.  When a thought translates into motivation and leads to the first step to "do it to it."   Here are some easy ways to start your transition to becoming a healthier person:  

Take the stairs. 
Avoid the elevator regardless of what floor your office is located.
Ride a bike to work (weather and safety permitting)
Take your kids for a walk in the park. 
If you don't have kids, take your dog. 
If you don't have a dog, take a stroll around the neighborhood. 
The best time is always the hour before dusk.
Go throw the football with friends.
Play tag with your children.
Go for a jog.  At first, don't time yourself.  Just go.  Remember what it is like to just run.  Go until you can't run.  Then walk.
During breaks at work, stretch.  Stretch your arms, back, legs.
Go play basketball at the nearest gym/park/school.  

These are just a small number of activities that you can do to get your heart rate elevated.  We will talk about heart rate at a later time.  For now, just do something that will get blood pumping again!  At first, if you haven't done any physical activity in a long time, go slow.  Let your body adjust to whatever goal you are trying to accomplish.  Most of all, when you are starting out, find a goal or motivation.  It could be to fit back into jeans you wore 5 years ago that are still in the closet.  It could be to be a role model for your children as they grow.  It could be to feel better about yourself and gain self confidence.  Whatever it is, start doing something and keep that close to you as you progress!    This is just the start of a series that I will write on a weekly basis.  We will look at diet, exercising, goal making and any/everything that pertains to physical activity. And as always remember, "The journey is better than the end" - Cervantes.  

Good luck on your first step to becoming a healthier you!   -Colin McElroy  

Before starting any exercise, diet or health routine, first consult your physician to make sure that your body is healthy enough for physical activity.  

LA Times http://articles.latimes.com/2011/feb/03/news/la-heb-worldwide-obesity-20110203
BMI http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/

Precursor- Sunday temperature was scheduled for 110 and 20-25 miles an hour wind from the SSW.  Yes, it was that ridiculous!  It was 111 which is the second highest temperature in Lubbock history.  Yea outdoor sports that require physical exertion over a very long distance and period of time!

1. Woke up at 4:10.  Here's a hint, make sure when you set your alarm with more than one time, make sure that you set the second time at 4:15 am/NOT PM! 

2. Drove to Buffalo Springs Lake and got into the place at 5:05.  Finally parked at 5:35.  Yes, there were that many people.

3. Swim start at 6:37.  The race director moved the swim times forward and combined swim groups.  We went off with 150+ swimmers.  That is the size of a Sunrise Triathlon.

4. Swimming through Buffalo Springs Lake is always better with a wet suit.  Swallowed about a gallon of water.

5. Went into the water at 6:37, got out of the water at 7:14 for a swim time of 37 minutes over the course of 1.2 miles.

6. Transition area reminding me why I will never walk around barefoot on concrete that is made of rather large rocks.  NOT FUN.

7. Off to the bike and immediately am welcomed by a 7.6 degree hill that goes up and up and up for half a mile.

8. Then it's back down another hill.  Hit 34 miles an hour.  That is fun and nerve racking at the same time.

9. Going over the bridge and passed by the first of many people that weigh about 120 pounds.  Never seems to amaze.

10. Hill #2! Average around 9 miles an hour going up.

11. Miles 1.75-3 are straight into the wind.  That is not fun.

12. Miles 1.76-34 are pretty much with the wind.  20-25 at your back provides for a fun bike split.   Split #2, which was 21 miles finished in 1:00:12 at 20.93 mph.

13. Time Split #3, which was 20 miles from Split #2, almost all straight into the wind, plus the worst winding hill of them all.  Manage only 17.16 mph.

14. Pass a kid wearing a Hotter than Hell 100 bike jersey.  Here is the transcription:

Me: "I have a feeling that we are going to be doing this (passing each other) a couple more times.
HHH100: "Yeah, it's been fun!"
Me: "You are just killing everyone on the hills!"
HHH100: "That is what we train on mostly."
Me: "Are you doing the entire race or just the bike?"
HHH100: "I'm only doing the bike.  I'm on a team because they won't let me race.  I wish they would."
Me: "Why won't they?"
HHH100: "Because I'm only 15!"
***Side note: It might be a teenager, a very large person on a mountain bike, or someone riding a $12,000 bike.  Moral of the story - you will get passed by someone!***

15. Heading the remaining 14 miles back with only 2.5 miles of that NOT directly into a 20 mile an hour wind!

16. The final hill on the bike - 8.9 degrees for .33 miles.  I hit 5 mph.  Not proud of it, but it was hard.

17. T2 - I really don't want to run 13.1 miles, but that is the only way to stop the race.

18. Mile 1 - 8:17

19. Mile 2 - 8:37

20. Mile 2.7 - the first hill.  It is a beast! I walk.  There is no shame.  Better to be alive than proud.

21. Mile 3.3 - first downhill run.  "I wanna go fast!"

22. Mile 4.5 - second hill.  "Walk like a man, walk like a man, walk like a sweaty, tired, tired man."

23. Mile 5-6.55 - walk, run, sweat, run, walk, sweat.

24. Mile 6.66-8.1 - repeat

25. Mile 8.1 - second downhill. "I wanna go fast! But, my hamstrings won't let me."

26. I now realize that not only will I not reach my goal of eclipsing 6 hours, I probably won't beat last year's time of 6:16.

27. Mile 9.7 - third hill.  Very, very slow, saddening walk.

28. Mile 10.2 - time to run down the beast hill.  I hit 7:30 mile pace just because I can't stop.

29. Mile 10.5-12.5 - sweat, sweat and walk then run.

30. Mile 12.5-13.1 - running at an 8;45 pace.  It really, really hurts and my right calf and left hamstring are seizing.

31. Finish line - Thank you Lord!!!!!!

32. Race medal and a very nice girl says: "Would you like to go to the medical tent?" "Why yes, yes I would!"

IF YOU DON'T LIKE MEDICAL STUFF, ADVANCE TO FINAL RESULTS

33. In the medical tent and met by Nurse Nick.

34. I am not lying, I have a nurse's gift to veins.  They are huge, they are prevalent.  They are easy to poke.

35. Poke #1 - left arm with an IV bag.  This hurts like you would not believe and there are not nice things running through my mind!  Finally done poking me, we start the IV.

36."Excuse me, but my arm really hurts"

37. Terrorized look by Crista, already graduated and she has a name tag, not just a sticker written in sharpie.

38. "Uh, we need to take this out of you." I look down and there is a very large bump.

39. Crista removes the IV and then starts an IV on my right arm.  She is successful and we are now friends.

40. I finished two IV bags and then get up out of the 1985 plastic folding reclining chair.

FINAL RESULTS
Total time: 6:20:37
1.2 mile swim - 37:01 (70.3 PR)
56 mile bike - 3:07:04 at 17.96 mph (70.3 PR)
13.1 mile run/half-marathon - 2:31:09 (WORST RUNNING RESULTS EVER)
6671 calories burned
70.3 miles covered
About 2 gallons of water/gatorade consumed
Two bananas
One of the worst sunburns ever

-Worth it

Start - took four minutes to get to the starting line because of so many people.

Mile 1- kiss from the girlfriend and a confidence boosting sign: "You're not even close to finishing!"

Mile 2-5 - 8:20 pace and rocking the hills.

Mile 6 - dead possum in the middle of the road and almost tackled by a 5'2" 105 lb woman running the wrong way.

Mile 7 - best sign of the day: "That's not sweat, it's your fat cells crying." First of many free high fives.

Mile 7.5 - start to run behind a Teen Wolf. Back hair. Shoulder hair. TW Gives random high fives to cringing and unsuspecting spectators.

Mile 8 - pass Teen Wolf

Mile 9 - hills continue to make right knee hurt

Mile 10.3 - half-marathon splits to the right. Really start to question the full marathon idea with the hill on the left turn.

Mile 11 - start to lose 3:40:00 pace group and feet hurting.

Mile 12-13.1 - Should I have just run the half????

Mile 14 - high fives continue. First partake of orange slices and gummy bears.

Mile 15 – Colin hits the wall early!  Longest mile of my life.

Mile 16-17 - really tired at this point. More oranges and start two waters and one Gatorade.

Mile 17.5 – get passed by Teen Wolf…not happy!

Mile 18-19 – more oranges and now pretzels!

Mile 20 - another great sign: "Even Humpty had to deal with walls!"

Mile 20.5 - girl with a six pack of Shiner Bock. Almost partook. REALLY WANTED ONE!

Mile 21 - pretzels, oranges, bananas start to kick in...finally.

Mile 22 - Journey's "Don't Stop Believing", followed by Rocky IV 18 sec clip of Rocky's trainer talking about "alright, it's the final final round, this is our round....... This is our round, i need all your strength, all your power, all your love, EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!" Followed by Korn "Coming Undone."

Mile 23-24 - pumped, ready to finish and really hurting. Really tired. Figured that I’m going to really hurt on Monday so might as well go as fast as possible to make the running pain stop.

Mile 25 - downhill through UT campus and run past Memorial Stadium.

Mile 25.7 - the hill from Hell!

Mile 25.9 - see Michelle & BP and start to sprint.

Mile 26-26.2 – pass at least 15-20 people.  Fast and hurting!

Finish line - can't move, tired and hurting. I WANT MY T-SHIRT!

T-shirt tent – get a large, it’s made for someone 250 pounds…not happy!

26.2 miles run
3:57:17
9:02 mile pace
5457 calories burned
Five GU gel packets consumed
Two handfuls of gummy bears
Multiple orange and banana slices
Numerous high fives
Two hurting legs/feet
Race medal and now training starts for triathlon season