Posts Tagged ‘team fitness’
Wednesday, October 6th, 2010
Team GBI,
As we move into week six of our training and our mileage continues to build, it is becoming more important that you build cross-training days into your weekly schedule. Take time this week to research and even test out cross-training activities that you can incorporate into your routine.
What is cross training?
Cross-training activities include most any workout outside of walking or running. These exercises provide conditioning, reduce stress on the muscle groups used during long or short run/walks, allow gentle recovery of these muscle groups and assist in building up your overall body strength. Most cross-training activities for those training for a marathon or ½ marathons should be thought of us active recovery or low impact training days.
Why cross-train?
Participating in a cross-training activity will help maintain momentum in your physical activity while resting from a walk/run. Trying new cross-training workouts will also decrease the chance of burnout. In addition, as mileage increases, is it important to continue to build strength in your upper body (shoulders, neck, etc.) as these muscles tend to tire easily as long walk/runs progress. Most cross-training activities strengthen muscles, joints, bones and help improve balance, coordination and flexibility.
It is important to note that cross-training days are not meant to replace rest days or fill in as short walk/runs. Allocate individual days each week for activities such as swimming, yoga, Pilates or using the row, elliptical or stair master machine. Try to stick to workouts that are soothing to your muscles and joints. Volleyball, tennis and aerobic dance for example add extra strain to your joints and may lead to an injury.
What classes, workouts or machines have you tried on your cross-training days? Share what has worked best for you by commenting below!
See you all Sunday!
Safe Training,
Team GBI
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Tags: bariatric patient, cross-training, Dr. Darren Soong, Dr. James Atkinson, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas, Half Marathon Training, Las Vegas Half Marathon, Las Vegas Marathon, Las Vegas Rock n' Roll Marathon, Marathon Training Tips, strength training, team fitness
Posted in Gastric Band Institute Events, Half Marathon Training, Physical Activity, Rock n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon |
Friday, October 1st, 2010
Congratulations – the GBI ½ Marathon Team has successfully made it to the end of the 5th week of training! And this Sunday we are jumping our long walk/run up from 6 miles to 8 miles. While the mileage continues to increase over the next several weeks, consider asking yourself the following questions:
What is your overall goal with your participation in the ½ marathon? For example, you might be working to complete your first long-distance course, shave a few minutes off of last year’s time, or to commit to a training routine that will continue after race day. Stay mindful of this personal goal for motivation throughout the remainder of the season.
Have you selected your official training/race day shoes? As mid-training approaches, try to find the pair of sneakers that works best for you and stick to that pair for the remainder of the season. If you are purchasing new shoes, break them in during the shorter 60 minutes walk/runs before wearing them during long sessions.
Are you prepared for varying weather conditions during your trainings? As the fall temperatures settle in, dress in loose layers that can be removed (tied around your waste, left at the starting line, etc.) during your training. Keep in mind the possibly cool temperature of race day and test different clothing items to see what works best for you.
We look forward to the continued success of Team GBI as our 13.1 mile course nears! As always, please feel free to ask questions about your training either during our trainings or by commenting below.
Keep up the great work, train safely and we’ll see everyone Sunday morning!
Your GBI Team
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Tags: Dr. Darren Soong, Dr. James Atkinson, Half Marathon Training, Las Vegas Half Marathon, Las Vegas Marathon, Las Vegas Rock n' Roll Marathon, Marathon Training Tips, team fitness, training footwear, training for weather conditions, training goals
Posted in Gastric Band Institute Events, Half Marathon Training, Physical Activity, Rock n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon |
Thursday, September 30th, 2010
Do you ever wonder why we encourage stretching before all exercise? Stretching prior to training helps your muscles become looser and can decrease the chances of injury and muscle soreness. Stretching helps to increase your flexibility which can amplify your stride, rate and pace. Pre-training stretching is also a great time to focus your mind and set an intention or goal for your walk/run. However, you should also be careful while stretching. If it’s not done properly, it can cause injury rather than prevent it. Here are some simple rules to remember when stretching:
#1: Stretch slowly and do not bounce when stretching. Bouncing can pull or tear the muscle you’re trying to stretch. Muscles should be stretched gradually. Stretch slowly and hold each stretch for 30 to 40 seconds.
#2: Do not go overboard. Hold a stretch when you start to feel tightness in the muscle but never stretch to the point of discomfort and pain. Stretching should feel good!
#3: Develop a stretching routine. Start with the muscle groups that are most important to your workout and move your way through the remaining muscle groups. At the end of your workout, perform the stretches again in the same order.
Once you have completed your walk/run or cross training exercise, it’s just as important to do a post-stretch. While your initial thought might be to sit and relax (especially as we get into longer walk/runs in the coming months), your muscles will be tight from exercising. Take the time to reflect on your workout during your post-stretch. Ask yourself questions about your performance and make goals for your next walk/run.
Stretching doesn’t need to be only about your muscles, use it beforehand to set goals for your workout and afterwards to congratulate yourself. Your body will thank you in the end!
Happy training,
Team GBI
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Tags: benefit performance, Dr. Darren Soong, Dr. James Atkinson, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas, Half Marathon Training, Las Vegas Half Marathon, Las Vegas Marathon, Las Vegas Rock n' Roll Marathon, Marathon Training Tips, stretching, team fitness, training stretches
Posted in Gastric Band Institute Events, Half Marathon Training, Physical Activity, Rock n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon |
Wednesday, September 29th, 2010
Team GBI,
Welcome to Part 2 of my series on bariatric tips for our ½ marathon training! In my last post, I reviewed hydration requirements as well as general nutrition guidelines. Keep in mind that nutrition and hydration preparation are just as important as the actually training itself. Consider how your body would feel if you did not train for the ½ marathon but decided to participate at the last minute. Proper nutrition or the lack of proper nutrition can affect your body in the same way. As our mileage continues to rise, consider the long walk/run nutritional plans below!
Preparing for Long Runs
The definition of a long run is considered to be 10 miles or longer or runs that last more than 90 minutes. For people who are walking rather than running, I would consider a long walk any training that lasts more than 2 hours.
Prior to Long Runs:
- Start proper hydration the day before (not just after) a long run.
- Eat 2 – 3 hours prior to your long runs. You do not want to eat anything that will be too heavy or take a long time to break down. Try a shake with milk and fruit to up your carbohydrates or, if you have the time and can get up early enough, try yogurt with berries or crackers with a protein source.
After Long Runs:
- Ideally within 15 minutes after a long run you’ll want to replenish glycogen storage. This will help to prevent muscle fatigue and to keep you on track with training.
- If you are consuming sports beans during the training, it is likely that you will not need to replenish glycogen afterwards. (Remember you should not be consuming any sports beans until you have been on the track for a minimum of two hours.)
Remember to pay attention to your body if you get leg cramps. Cramping can be due to dehydration as well as depleted electrolytes or glycogen storage. The body can learn to tap into fat cells to utilize energy once glycogen storage is depleted. Our bodies have up to 800 grams of glycogen storage. If your body is not used to tapping into your storage you may feel tired the first few times but then your body will learn to efficiently utilize the storage of energy you already have.
As always, listen to your body and it will tell you what it needs. Please feel free to post a comment or a question on this series about nutrition and hydration.
Happy, Healthy and Safe Training!
Prudence
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Tags: bariatric patient, benefit performance, Dr. Darren Soong, Dr. James Atkinson, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas, Half Marathon Training, Las Vegas Half Marathon, Las Vegas Marathon, Las Vegas Rock n' Roll Marathon, marathon nutrition, Marathon Training Tips, pre-race nutrition, Prudence Ticknor, team fitness
Posted in Eating, Half Marathon Training, Nutrition, Physical Activity, Rock n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon |
Tuesday, September 28th, 2010
Hello Team GBI!
Our training for the ½ marathon is off to a wonderful start! As we continue to train please be mindful of appropriate nutrition for bariatric patients. To help, I’ve put together a two part series to discuss hydration, nutrition as well as specific nutrition recommendations for long walk/run trainings.
Hydration
The number one concern while training is being able to stay hydrated throughout your workout. Once you allow yourself to feel thirsty it is almost impossible to get properly hydrated. The key is to make a hydration schedule and drink appropriate amounts of fluids throughout the day.
We recommend that your baseline is 64oz. of water plus 12 oz. of additional fluid for every 20 minutes of exercise. Be sure to take the time and do the math! Staying properly hydrated will make one of the biggest differences in how you feel during your training and after. It will also help your pace during the training as well as your performance on race day!
Water is the drink of choice for trainings up to 60 minutes. During all trainings over 60 minutes, you need to add some type of sports drink to replenish your electrolytes (mainly sodium and potassium). Look for sports drinks that are low in sugar. A great way to start is by filling your water bottles up with a 50/50 mixture of water and sports drink. It is important to remember that this is only needed for your actual training days when you exceed 60 minutes of exercise.
General Nutrition Guidelines
As our training continues, keep in mind that the key is to listen to your body. Your body will tell you if you are not getting enough carbohydrates – you will feel the difference in your energy. What your body will require will depend on your current physical ability as well as how hard you train. The harder you push yourself, the more food energy you will need to maintain that same physical energy level. Remember that the main nutrients missing during training is your electrolytes: potassium and sodium. Simple changes such as using milk in your protein shakes instead of water or adding salt to your food can add the additional potassium and sodium that your body requires.
Be sure to consider the following guidelines:
- Stay with the recommended 3 meals per day at 4 oz. plus one additional protein shake to start. If you find you are feeling hungry or light headed throughout the day, you may need to change the items in your meals.
- Start by trying new food items before deciding to add additional food.
o Replace water with milk or even whole milk
o Consume different types of fruit or add peanut butter to your fruit to increase your carbohydrates and calories
- Review your eating habits and replace light or low fat foods with their regular versions (i.e. yogurt, milk)
If you continue to feel hungry and/or light headed after following the guidelines above, you may need to add an additional protein shake or bar to your diet however, I do not recommend adding an additional meal. As always, please feel free to ask specific questions as they arise!
Happy, Healthy and Safe Training!
Prudence
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Tags: bariatric patient, benefit performance, carbohydrates, Dr. Darren Soong, Dr. James Atkinson, endurance, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas, Half Marathon Training, Las Vegas Half Marathon, Las Vegas Marathon, Las Vegas Rock n' Roll Marathon, marathon nutrition, Marathon Training Tips, pre-race nutrition, Prudence Ticknor, team fitness
Posted in Eating, Gastric Band Institute Events, Half Marathon Training, Nutrition, Physical Activity, Rock n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon |
Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010
Are you a fan of training to music? Not everyone is, however; making training mixes can be extremely motivational when you need that extra push. Music can make that sometimes dreaded training much more enjoyable when you hear your favorite song on your iPod.
Studies have shown that listening to music can serve as a motivator, while allowing you to push away any negative feelings you might have during a specific training session. Sometimes, music can help you to improve your stride and your speed. Basically music can equal MOTIVATION!
When selecting your training music you should know that not all music is the same when selecting it specifically for training. Have you ever wondered why your body gets a jolt of energy when a specific song comes on? This is most likely because your body is functioning to the rhythm and pace of the music, otherwise known as the B.P.M., the song’s beats per minute. Professional athletes often use the songs B.P.M when selecting their playlists!
If you’re looking to start collecting playlists from your favorite athlete or if you’d like to create one from scratch, a great place to find music is on iTunes. Some professional athletes create workout and/or training music mixes that you can purchase. Just go to iTunes and search for your favorite athlete. You might be in luck and they may have a training playlist that consist of various artists that you can purchase. Or begin to start one or two of your own by gathering songs from your CD collection that get you pumped. In no time, you will have compiled a few songs that you can start training to.
Training for the ½ marathon should be an enjoyable experience whether you chose to train with or without music.
Happy training,
Team GBI
p.s. Post a comment on this blog with your favorite training songs and we’ll send out a list to the entire team.
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Tags: bariatric patient, beats per minute, Dr. Darren Soong, Dr. James Atkinson, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas, Half Marathon Training, las vegas, Las Vegas Half Marathon, Las Vegas Marathon, Las Vegas Rock n' Roll Marathon, Marathon Training Tips, team fitness, training music, Weight Loss Support Groups
Posted in Gastric Band Institute Events, Half Marathon Training, Physical Activity, Rock n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon, Weight Loss Support Groups |
Friday, December 4th, 2009
Congratulations on completing your half-marathon training for this year’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon on the Las Vegas Strip! We are very proud of you, your weight loss success and your dedication to healthy lifestyle changes. That’s what Gastric Band Institute’s philosophy is all about.
Remember to have fun on race day and keep your friends and family close by for extra support. Also, be sure to share your training and marathon success stories with others. Your journey is an inspiration to us all.
Good luck on race day! Go Team GBI!
Dr. Atkinson and Dr. Soong
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Tags: bariatric patient, Bariatric Surgeons, Dr. Darren Soong, Dr. James Atkinson, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas, Gastric bypass, Half Marathon Training, lap band, lap band surgery, Las Vegas Half Marathon, Las Vegas Marathon, Las Vegas Rock n' Roll Marathon, Las Vegas Weight Loss Doctors, marathon success, Marathon Training Tips, team fitness, Weight Loss Surgeons, Weight Loss Surgery
Posted in Bariatric Surgeons, Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute Events, Gastric Sleeve, Gastric bypass, Half Marathon Training, Las Vegas Weight Loss Surgeons, Rock n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon, Weight Loss Support, Weight Loss Surgery, lap band |
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
It’s finally almost here: the big race day! Many of our minds have already started racing with doubts of not being able to finish or walk/run the race fast enough and we are a bundle of nerves. On race day, instead of focusing on running/walking the total 13.1 miles, focus on doing a mile at a time. Your goal is to get to the next drink station, then the next and the next. We all can do one mile. Before you know it, you will be at the finish line. Remind yourself that words and thoughts create feelings and feelings do not always tell the truth. Here are a few techniques you can do to keep yourself strong now and throughout the race.
The night before or the morning of the race take a few minutes to visualize yourself walking/running 13.1 miles. See yourself crossing the finish line with all of your friends and family and the crowds cheering you on. Visualize yourself waking up full of energy, feeling vibrant and energetic throughout the marathon. Visualize yourself finishing without any injuries and a smooth easy journey. Remember whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.
Take some time to come up with positive mantras to counteract the negative internal dialogue creating the fear, nerves and doubt. Saying these mantras the night before will allow you to get a bit more sleep and will assist you during the race to the finish line. Remind yourself you have done the training, you are physically ready, fear is just a false expectation appearing real and that pain is temporary while this accomplishment is for a lifetime. Find a few mantras that will work for you and when you notice you are focusing on anything negative, switch focus to the mantras you have picked for yourself.
You should all be proud of yourselves for getting to this point. You all have the mental toughness, focus and determination it takes to finish. See you at the finish line!
Prudence
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Tags: bariatric patient, Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas, Gastric bypass, Half Marathon Training, lap band, lap band surgery, las vegas, Las Vegas Half Marathon, Las Vegas Marathon, Las Vegas Rock n' Roll Marathon, Marathon Training Tips, mind over matter, positive thinking, team fitness, visualization
Posted in Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute Events, Gastric Sleeve, Gastric bypass, Half Marathon Training, Rock n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon, Weight Loss Support |
Monday, November 23rd, 2009
Congratulations to everyone for making it to this point. I know many of you did not make it to the last few group long runs but I am happy to hear you were training on your own. Way to stay focused and determined!
My blogs this week will focus on getting us ready for race day. Today, let’s make sure we all prepare our feet properly to have an enjoyable 13.1 mile walk/run. Below are tips to get your feet ready for race day and to prevent black toenails and blisters.
1. Your running shoes should be half a size larger than what size you would normally wear. Hopefully you already have been wearing a good pair of supportive running sneakers.
2. Trim your toenails as smooth as possible along the natural shape of your toes. Make sure the nail is not hanging over on any toe. I know some of us are worried about our toes being cute – but trust me, a trim will look much cuter than a black toe nail!
3. Keep your feet dry by wearing the correct socks. If you have not already done so, purchase wicking material (Teflon, cool-max) socks. NO COTTON SOCKS.
4. Do not treat yourself to a pedicure prior to the marathon. Any calluses that you may have are a protection from future blisters.(Save your pedi for an after race bonus!)
5. Make sure you lace your shoes tightly to prevent sliding around in your shoes.
6. Use body glide, blister powder or athletic tape over areas of your feet that are prone to blisters. Be mindful not to use too much body glide or if you plan to use tape, it needs to be smooth and wrinkle free.
7. Stay off your feet as much as possible the day before the race. Other than going to the expo, let Saturday be a rest day.
Happy and Healthy Training (and feet!),
Prudence
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Tags: Bariatric Surgeons, black toenails, blister prevention, feet, foot, Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas, Gastric bypass, Half Marathon Training, lap band, lap band surgery, las vegas, Las Vegas Half Marathon, Las Vegas Marathon, Las Vegas Rock n' Roll Marathon, Las Vegas Weight Loss Doctors, marathon feet protection, marathon shoes, Marathon Training Tips, pedicure, team fitness, toenails, training footwear, training socks, Weight Loss Surgeons, Weight Loss Surgery
Posted in Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute Events, Gastric Sleeve, Gastric bypass, Half Marathon Training, Rock n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon, Weight Loss Support, Weight Loss Surgery |
Tuesday, November 17th, 2009
Congratulations, we are on the downward slope and are tapering off our miles as we head towards the big day! It is important to remember that as we decrease our training mileage, our carbohydrate intake should be decreasing as well. These next three weeks you want to gradually decrease your carbohydrate intake to approximately 40% of your total intake; choosing low glycemic index choices like whole grain starches, beans, and vegetables to help maintain a steady blood glucose level. This week will be the last week we will need our sports drinks, gel packs, sports beans, etc. After our long run this week, 6 miles, you will not need the simple sugars again until race day.
Eating too much, eating not enough or choosing foods that may not be suitable for you can all affect how you perform race day. Follow the article below for great nutrition tips to consider in these last few weeks before race day.
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-301–12845-1-1-2,00.html
Happy and Healthy Running/Walking,
Prudence
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Tags: bariatric patient, Bariatric Surgeons, benefit performance, carbohydrates, complex carbohydrates, Gastric Band, Gastric Band Institute of Las Vegas, Gastric bypass, Half Marathon Training, lap band, lap band surgery, Las Vegas Half Marathon, Las Vegas Marathon, Las Vegas Rock n' Roll Marathon, Las Vegas Weight Loss Doctors, marathon nutrition, Marathon Training Tips, pre-race nutrition, simple carbohydrates, simple sugars, team fitness, Weight Loss Surgeons, Weight Loss Surgery
Posted in Eating, Gastric Band Institute Events, Half Marathon Training, Rock n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon |
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