"My Body's A Zombie For You"

I DO feel like a zombie. I've opened up my blog the past few days with a fresh mind, but nothing to say. Well, I feel like I have too much to say and just don't know where to start. First, Sunday was a nice hike up Stone Mountain. While we just hiked up the mountain, some people were ambitious enough to run up the steep rock. At the moment, I said no way Jose. Now thinking about it, I may attempt to run up the mountain one day just to say I did. It will be one hell of a 1.3 mile run, but I think it will be worth the self sacrifice. The picture to the left is a nice view of the Stone Mountain lake from the top.

Second, the weather in Georgia has been very inconsistent the past few weeks. One week it feels like fall, true fall. Then the following week it feels like summer all over again. Today is one of those "summer-like" days. I convinced myself during my brutal 4 miler today that I have the Summer blues in what is suppose to be the Fall season. During my run it appeared to be Fall outside with the leaves falling and the wind whipping, but it was anything but Fall temperatures. It felt like Summer air with a Fall scenery. What was suppose to be an easy 4 miler turned into a dreadful run. At one point, I stopped half way up Lindbergh Drive (which is one giant hill), thought to myself I am done with running, and then realized I am throwing a fit at 23 years old because my run is anything but ideal. As a runner, I am too hard on myself. I feel constant pressure to always get a new PR, or to have an outstanding run. Why? Some may say I am a perfectionist. I admit fault. I feel pressured to lead by example due to my career and volunteer choice. However, I have to tell myself that standing in the middle of Lindbergh Drive pouting isn't going to solve anything. I push myself to keep going and tell myself that everyone has a bad day. No need to blame my music choice, the weather, or simply the lack of a running buddy. It just happens. My point is, everyone has a bad day or days of running/exercise. The key is you just have to suck it up and move on. Sometimes stopping to take a breather, maybe pouting a little, and then realizing how ridiculous you look is enough motivation to suck up the "emo-ness" and continue on like a trooper. Remember if you are stuck in a slump or have a bad day, find something that motivates you to just dedicate 30-60 minutes of your time to exercise. In the end it's for the best, and will help you feel better. Busting out an exercise routine after a horrible day will give you a feeling of accomplishment once you complete it. Don't let something so little stand in your way. We are all human and have bad days, but how you deal with it reveals your level of self determination.

Training Exercise: Wood Choppers. This is an excellent exercise for the side of your abs and some lower back. You can either perform this exercise with a cable machine, resistance band, medicine ball, or a weight. To perform wood choppers:

Basic Wood Choppers

• Cable or Resistance band: Place the lever of the cable or band all the way to the top of the machine or the top of the door frame.
• If a cable, set the weight to roughly 10-20 pounds, depending on your fitness level. If a band, the further you walk out the more resistance you will feel.
• Stand side ways and walk out from the machine/door frame.
• Keep your arms straight at all times, and bring the band/cable down twisting to the opposite foot.
• Keeping your arms straight, return to the starting position. The motion is to roughly mimic chopping wood. You will feel the exercise work in the side of your abs that you are twisting down to.
• Repeat 15-20 reps on the same side, then turn around and do the other side.
• Medicine Ball or Weight: Hold the MB or weight above your head to one side of your body.
• Keeping your arms straight, twist down to the opposite side trying to touch your foot with the MB or weight.
• Keeping your arms straight, return to the starting position. The motion is to roughly mimic chopping wood. You will feel the exercise work in the side of your abs that you are twisting down to.
• Repeat 15-20 reps on the same side, then turn around and do the other side.

Training Tip: When the weather is in the 50s remember not to over dress. You may feel chilly when you walk out the door and are tempted to put on long sleeves and pants, but I promise you will regret it. During the Fall season with temperatures in the 40 and 50s short sleeves (sometimes a light long sleeves that you can push up) and shorts are the ideal clothes to wear. You will be chilly at first, but once you surpass 1-2 miles your body will warm up and you will regret overdressing. Remember dressing for the weather can make or break a run. You have to think how you will feel during the run, not in the now.

Training Songs: In the spirit of Halloween I have included some themed songs into my play list. It may not feel like Halloween outside, but I am determined to make it feel like it is! Enjoy!

1. My Body's A Zombie For You- Dead Man's Bones

2. Monster- Lady GaGa

3. Monster Mash- Bobby Pickett

4. Beautiful Monster- Ne-Yo

5. Monster- Kayne West ft. Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicky Minaj, and Bon Iver

Training Lagniappe: Sunday November 7 at 9AM is the ING New York Marathon. I will be sure to watch the entire marathon either live, or even if I have to DVR it. You can call me a dork because this is how I get my kicks, but I just love to watch people run their asses off. However, this Marathon is going to be epic. Meb, the US Runner, will be defending his title from last year along with other amazing US Runners. Reason number 2: To watch Edison Pena, the Chilean Miner, run the race of his life. For the people who didn't hear, while being trapped he ran roughly 6 miles a day to occupy himself. When the news broke, the ING NY Marathon committee invited him to run the race. What a compliment! I may shed a tear, I won't lie.

Happy Running,
Jayme Bergeron, BS

ACSM Health Fitness Specialist

What If Everyone Ran At The Same Exact Moment?!

Mark your calendars: November 7, 2010 is World Run Day! World Run Day is a global event in the efforts to bring the world together as a healthy unit! Many cities around the world host events to bring the community together to help promote the importance of health and fitness. Not a runner? Not a problem... not an excuse... the event is meant to get people moving! Grab some friends, family members, coworkers, or even those furry friends and just go for a long walk or run! Find a new route to explore. It's one day of your life that can change the rest of your life (yep, I'm one of those people... dorky, I know!). Health and fitness is an important aspect of life and there is no excuse not to delegate time to your health and well being. Think of what is important in your life, ie children, grandkids, your spouse, best friend, dog, etc and think about how much you will miss out in their life if you don't take care of yourself. Mental health doesn't exist without physical health, vice versa. I'm not asking everyone to be a marathon runner, just to take care of yourself. Once you add some type of physical activity into your routine it will become a habit. You will begin to feel sick if you miss a day! On November 7, 2010 lace up those sneakers and get moving!

Training Exercise: High Intensity Ab and Cardio Workout Days. Majority of people want to burn fat off those unwanted areas. Strength training and cardio are the key ingredients. Adding at least one day dedicated to abs and cardio can help aid in the process. The idea is to preform 8-12 ab/cardio combination exercises in a circuit style workout to keep your heart rate elevated resulting in burning more calories. This can be as tough as you make it. You can choose exercises that can be done at home and/or with just body weight. Therefore, there is no excuse not push yourself to do a hardcore workout if you don't belong to a fitness facility, or don't have time one day to make it to the gym.

Sample Ab/Cardio Workout:

• Step-Ups
• Stability Ball Crunches
• Skaters
• Side Planks
• Stability Ball Rollouts
• Stability Ball/ Plank Knee Tucks
• Walking Lunges
• Jumping Squats
• Reverse Crunches
• Mountain Climbers

*Preform the exercises for X amount of time (ie- 30-45 seconds) or for reps (ie- 15-25 reps) for 3 sets. The idea is to complete all the exercises before taking a break. However, remember there is always ways to modify and progress each exercise. Preform at your own pace. If you need to take a break before the set is over, do so.

Training Tip: Remember to stay hydrated! Since the season is changing people seem to drink less water since it isn't so hot outside! Remember to drink water through out the day, even if you're not thirsty. Once you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated. You may hear people say this all the time, but it is an important part of exercise and every day living. Dehydration can result in fatigue, dizziness, quick muscle failure, cramps, etc. Safe tip is for every cup of coffee (or caffeinated/sugary drink) drink 2 cups of water to compensate.

Training Songs: I haven't done my homework for the past few weeks. I have a few newbies (Thanks to Ross and Jesse), but have included some oldies that I just love! Enjoy!

1. Freakum Dress- Beyonce

2. Bridge Over Troubled Water- Glee Version

3. Say Goodbye- DMB

4. This Is How A Heart Breaks- Rob Thomas

5. Rump Shaker- Teddy Riley Remix

Training Lagniappe: The Rock and Roll Marathon Series is coming to Savannah, Georgia! November 5, 2011! Finally! I've been wanting to take a vacation to Savannah and this is the perfect reason why! Make your calendars!

Happy Running,
Jayme Bergeron, BS

ACSM Health Fitness Specialist

"The Dog Days Are Over"

A LOT has happened in the past few weeks! Ended my old job of 5 years, started my career as a Fitness Coach, ran the Atlanta 13.1 Half Marathon, and set a new PR! Whew, now I mean it for real this time: I am going to start getting back to blogging. I have the best work schedule with lots of free time in the afternoon, so i'm back for real. In the words of Florence and the Machine, "the dog days are over"!

First, the Atlanta 13.1 Half was great for not only me, but all my friends who ran it as well! I set a new PR of 1:45, and now working on getting down to my ultimate goal of 1:30. Jesse ran his first Half with a kick ass time of 2:01; Megan ran her second half and kick her first half in the butt with a new PR shaving off 18 minutes!; Shannon ran his first half dragging Megan to finish in record time ;-); and, Rani, who made me tear up after she finished, ran her first half and has been bitten by the running bug! :-). Not to mention, Ross and Conal did an outstanding job of cheering us all on... And, oh, thanks Ross for capturing all of our true thoughts during the half via videos! I have some of the best friends and are so proud of every single one of them! Who's ready for the next one?! ... Come join Team Bergeron on February 13, 2011 in NOLA for the Mardi Gras Half!

Atlanta 13.1 Half Marathon Crew:

Now the party is over it's recovery time! It's important that after the race to recover from the distance endured and pounding of the pavement. It's like tapering before the race. Loose those muscles to avoid cramps and injuries. If you're like me, not running or running short distances is painful. I feel like a slug and just want to keep running the distance. So, I try to push myself and start to cramp. The reason being is because during a race you are pushing yourself full force and those muscles are contracting harder and faster than they normally have during your training. Now after the race your muscles are trying to relax and resume everyday functions. If you feel tighter than normal take a hot bath with sea salts, stretch, and/or roll on a foam roller or tennis/golf ball over the tight muscles. Work the kinks out and get the blood flowing! Slowly increase your mileage to your "normal" running schedule.

Training Exercise: Limited Rotation. This is one of my favorite core exercises. This exercise will help strengthen your core muscles: abs, lower back, glutes, and part of your hammies. A strong core helps improve/ correct breathing, strengthen your back muscles, and use oxygen more efficiently. You can preform this exercise with either a cable on the machine or a resistance band:

Basic Limited Rotation:

• Cable: Lower the lever arm to 90 degrees, where it is straight in front of you.
• Set the weight to 10-15 pounds. You do not need a lot of weight for this exercise.
• Grab the cable and step out facing sideways from the machine. Note: The further you step out the harder the exercise will be.
• Extend your arms out in front of you. Keep your arms straight the entire exercise.
• Move your arms shoulder to shoulder width keeping your core tight and resisting the rotation in your hips/ core area. Note: The shoulders should be the only thing moving- you should feel it in your ab area.
• Complete 15-20 reps and then turn and face the other side and repeat 15-20 reps. Complete the exercise 2-3 sets.
• Resistance Band: Secure the band in a shut door or around a steady post.
• Grab the band and step out facing sideways from the doorway/post. Note: The further you step out the harder the exercise will be. You may be able to step further out with the band than the cable since there is no weight applied, instead you are using the resistance of the band as your weight.
• Extend your arms out in front of you. Keep your arms straight the entire exercise.
• Move your arms shoulder to shoulder width keeping your core tight and resisting the rotation in your hips/ core area. Note: The shoulders should be the only thing moving- you should feel it in your ab area.
• Complete 15-20 reps and then turn and face the other side and repeat 15-20 reps. Complete the exercise 2-3 sets.

Training Tip: Remember that since the temperatures are cooling down to real Fall-like weather our skin will begin to dry out. Carry chapstick or some type of "lube" with you on your runs (I hate using the word lube in running context... makes me feel dirty). Don't forget to apply some type of anti-chafing to your skin in "irritated areas", ie: where the seams of clothes rub together on your skin. Lets face it, it happens to everyone... especially on those long windy runs. Get in the habit of at least applying chapstick to your lips before running and/or working out. That way it will become part of your routine and you avoid that cracking of your lips.

Training Songs: Here are some of the jams that got me through the half! Enjoy!

1. Monster- Kayne West ft. Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicky Minaj, & Don Iver

2. Dog Days Are Over- Florence and The Machine

3. Stuck Like Glue- Sugarland

4. Fuck You- Cee Lo Green

5. Drop It Low (Remix)- Ester Dean ft. Chris Brown

Training Lagniappe: I am volunteering for the Atlanta Girls On The Run. I work with 4 other coaches and help elementary girls deal with every day issues such as self confidence, positive/negative feelings, etc, and how fitness is IMPORTANT. The girls train for a 5k that takes place on Sunday November 14, 2010! Sign up and run/walk for a good cause!

Atlanta GOTR Registration

Happy Running,
Jayme Bergeron, BS

ACSM Health Fitness Specialist