Location, location, location

So you've heard the saying, "Location matters." Ok, I don't really know what the saying is but I do know that it's important when starting/moving a business or when you are relocating your family.  You want to have the ideal spot to fit your needs or those of your customers and it's worth the time and effort to research your options.

Well, trail running is much the same in that when you are choosing an event you will want to know what the terrain of the course will be. Many trail races have been given a rating system of 2 separate numbers...for example 4/2.  These numbers allow the runner to know what the elevation and surface of the course will be for that particular race.

In the example above, 4/2, the course would be very hilly with a total climb of 150'-250' per mile and mostly groomed trail or dirt roads.  If we had a rating of 2/4, this would indicate the trail to be rolling hills with total climb up to 50' per mile and trail or dirt road with substantial rocks, roots and/or ruts.
If a race doesn't show a rating feel free to contact the race director to find out this information so you can adapt your training to fit the trail.

Once you've chosen your event you more than likely wouldn't prepare nutritionally by eating junk food and drinking soda pop.  You would look into the foods that would nourish your body and provide strength and stamina to assist you through the race to the finish line.  The same goes for trail surface training.  Training on the road for a trail event will only get you so far, Once you've chosen your event, it's important to find surfaces that will match as closely as possible to the surface you will be running on. This important for foot/ankle strength, stability, stamina and mental acuity.

If your event will have climbs and steep hills, do your best to replicate that in your training.  Rocks and ruts...well get out there and see what you can find. If all else fails, just get yourself on the dirt and practice with the uneven surfaces and all that comes with dirt roads/trails.

Quick story.  I was running my first 50 miler at Grand Targhee several years ago and I had practiced on different trails and hills in preparation for this event. I was ready...or so I thought.  Unbeknownst to me, the trail was in the shape of a V for many many miles. Hmmm, hadn't practiced that one!  The result was a gianormous blister, in 2 layers, covering my entire heel.  I also had a couple on my toes I could feel popping inmy shoes.  Good times!  I don't get blisters very often so this was a crazy new and painful experience and needless to say, hindered my running.  Even after some wound care, the next few miles were very painful but I eventually reached the finish line.

Now, please know...blisters happen...however the severity of them may have been avoided with some better terrain training and maybe a different choice of shoe.  These are just some of the fun things we get to learn as we venture out into the big wide world to experience life...especially life as a trail runner/walker.

So the simple point I am trying to get across today is this...get out and get your feet dirty!  Practice on different types terrain.  Terrain training is important both for your body and for your mind. Knowing you can move over and across all types of terrain from flat to crazy mountain goat climbing and smooth trail to "where's my machete," will help you increase the enjoyment factor of your event and improve your chances of crossing the finish line in one piece, or maybe two.

Whatever event and terrain you choose, get out there and have fun!  Soak in the nature around you! Breathe in the fresh air! Fill yourself with natural vitamin D! Unplug! Refill your soul!! Get back in contact with who you are with out all the distractions of life bombarding you! BE!

This weeks workout is Hill Repeats. There are many ways to do hill repeats so for now, choose a hill up to 1/4 to 1/2 mile long. Perform a gentle warm up like an easy mile run. Start hill repeats by running up the hill while maintaining speed and form, then walk/easy jog down and rest at the bottom for a minute or two and start the fun again. Run Hill Repeats for 20-30mins and finish with a gentle run and stretching.

Until Next Time...Go BE Great!
Happy Trails,
Jennifer J. Saunders
Buttingear, ACE Certified Personal Trainer
Reiki Energy Therapy, Behavior Change Specialist
Intuitive Life Coach, Everyday SuperHero

Is your H20 on point?

Hydration for Endurance Sports

It is essential that you stay on top of your fluid needs by drinking a minimum of 11 to 16 cups (2.7–3.8 L) of fluid daily for basic hydration requirements when not training. Try to drink on a schedule of 8 ounces (240 ml) every hour on average. Water should make up about half of your daily fluid intake, but you can also receive hydration benefits from other fluids. Juice, dairy milk, soy milk, soup, and various sports nutrition supplements can be good choices. Some foods— especially fruits and vegetables—contain a high percentage of water and can also contribute fluid to your daily diet. Endurance athletes with very high energy requirements can consume high-calorie drinks such as juices and smoothies to assist them in meeting their fluid, carbohydrate, and energy needs. Caffeinated beverages can be incorporated into your diet in reasonable amounts, but they should not be your first choice prior to and after training.




You can monitor your hydration status by checking the color and quantity of your urine. Clear or lemonade-colored urine reflects adequate fluid intake, while darker or apple juice–colored urine, or a smaller volume of urine, indicates that you need to step up your fluid intake. Urine tends to be more concentrated when you first wake up, but it should become clearer throughout the day. You should urinate at least four full bladders every day. Certain vitamin supplements can darken or add a neon-glow quality to your urine, so volume rather than color may be a better indicator of hydration status if you take them. Regular monitoring of your weight during heavy training periods can also be helpful in judging fluid balance. If you notice significant weight losses at morning weigh-ins, this may be an indicator of chronic dehydration.

S3 Challenge-Week 1-Time On Your Feet

     So, why is time on your feet so important when it comes to training and not necessarily miles? Well, as an article from running.competitor.com explains, “you can’t really measure yourself at a certain minute-per-mile pace, and even power meters on a bike are somewhat obsolete when it comes to off-road racing. There’s a bit of creativity involved out on the trails and with that comes a very relaxed nature and you really have to go with the flow, even though you still might be running hard”. Furthermore, “you can never really get a consistent measure of how far you’re running; especially when you compare that to how far you might run on roads. I measure my running by time on my feet, not by pace or even distance. Pace is mostly irrelevant on the trails. In 2 hours, you might only cover 10 miles, but boy it sure is a hard 2 hours”. (Read more at http://running.competitor.com/2013/10/training/trail-running-tips-from-lesley-paterson_86763#CUemegCZbdipzC4e.99)

     My experience with trail running is minimal compared to some but I can definitely relate. The first time I ran in a trail event was the Menan Butte 12k (now known as The Spitfire Ultra Trail Challenge). Since then, I have also ran the Yellowstone Half Marathon (10 miles of it trail), as well as a few more years with the Spitfire race. I was very surprised my first year how much longer it took me to complete the same distance on the trail as it did on the road. Below is an example of the Spitfire Ultra Trail Challenge 5k earlier this year (April 2016) compared to a 4-mile training run just last week (July 2016). As you can see, over 3.5 miles, my average pace for the trail run was 12:34 min/mile, with the fastest speed being 7:21 min/mile and my slowest being 15:12 min/mile. Compared to my road run of 4 miles, my average pace was 8:57 min/mile with the fastest speed being 8:37 min/ mile and my slowest speed being 9:37 min/mile.

                                                           


                                                           

     As you can assume, “running on trails is completely different than running on roads or any flat surface. When you’re training and racing on trails, your movement and your gait are varied all the time. You have to have strong ankles, a strong pivot point, a strong core, and strong hips to be able to navigate rocks and bound off of them and dance around obstacles so you don’t get injured, but also not to take too much energy from your body”. (Read more at http://running.competitor.com/2013/10/training/trail-running-tips-from-lesley-paterson_86763#CUemegCZbdipzC4e.99)

     Want to learn more and get prepared for the Stinkin’ Springs Sidewinder Trail Event in September? Come join me, Hayley Earley, at Community Park in Idaho Falls, Wednesday July 20, at 6:30pm for my work out of the week spending “time on my feet”. Look forward to seeing you all there! If you haven’t already, “like “ us on Facebook to get all the event invites through this challenge as well as what else is going on at the Health & Fitness Academy.

Until next time,
Hayley Earley, BS, CSCS, Pn1
hearley@mvhospital.net

Is It Smart?

Remember back in April when we started talking about the 3 second guide to eating? Then in May, continued that discussion with the first of 3 questions to ask yourself before putting anything in your mouth? Today, we are going to continue onto question 2 of 3 of the 3 second guide to eating – “Is It Smart?”

Smart foods are the ones that help us feel full and satisfied and not deprived – they provide satiety. Did you know that eating protein can make you feel fuller for longer periods of time? Did you know that foods that are high in fiber can help curb appetites and support weight loss? Did you know that eating high volume foods (those with lots of nutrients, but not a lot of calories) can help you to lose weight?

Today I want to talk about the 4 types of foods that will help you feel full, eat less, and lose size and weight. As well as the foods that do the opposite. After we talk about this, you will be able to answer the question of “is it smart?”.

Food 1: High Volume Foods

Research shows that people who eat large volumes of food that have a lot of nutrients (vitamins, minerals, and fiber), but fewer calories, lose more weight. Consider this; there are two options in front of you. Option one is a small burger and fries. Option two is a plate of roasted chicken, string beans, sliced fruit, and a side salad. Which is the smarter choice? Well, you’ll actually lose more weight by eating the second option. This is because studies show that our stomach knows how much volume we eat, and we feel fuller when we eat higher volume foods.

Here are a few low volume foods compared to some high volume alternatives.

Low Volume	High Volume (Better Choice)	Low Volume	High Volume  (Better Choice)
Cheese omelet, 3 bacon strips, and hash browns 762 CALORIES	6 Scrambled egg whites with low fat cheese and mushrooms, 1 slice whole wheat toast, and 1 sliced apple 321 CALORIES	4 pancakes and 3 sausage links 737 CALORIES	2 whole wheat pancakes, 1 cup strawberries, 1 apple, and 3 scrambled egg whites 474 CALORIES
Grilled ham and cheese sandwich, French fries, and a soda 980 CALORIES	Open faced cheese melt on whole grain bread and a slice of melted low fat cheese, 1 orange, 10 baby carrots and a glass of nonfat milk 303 CALORIES	1 ½ cups macaroni and cheese and 5 potato croquettes 869 CALORIES	1 cup whole wheat pasta with mixed vegetables, lean ground beef, and tomato sauce. 1 cup blueberries, tossed salad with Italian dressing. 593 CALORIES

When it comes to trying to put together your own high volume meals, try to incorporate some of the high volume foods listed below.

High Volume Vegetables:

Artichoke

Asparagus

Bean Sprouts

Beans

Beets

Broccoli

Brussel Sprouts

Cabbage

Carrots

Cauliflower

Eggplant

Greens

Kohlrabi

Leeks

Mushrooms

Okra

Onions

Pea Pods

Peppers

Rutabaga

Sauerkraut

Spinach

Summer Squash

Tomato

Turnips

Water Chestnuts

Zucchini

High Volume Fruits:

Apples

Apricots

Banana

Blackberries

Blueberries

Cantaloupe

Cherries

Figs

Grapefruit

Grapes

Honeydew Melon

Kiwi

Mandarin Oranges

Mango

Nectarine

Orange

Papaya

Peach

Pear

Persimmon

Pineapple

Plum

Pomegranate

Raspberries

Strawberries

Tangerine

Watermelon

Food 2: Lean Proteins

Protein actually produces a greater feeling of fullness than any other nutrient. Research shows that people who have higher protein breakfasts are less hungry and eat less during the day. To fully benefit from this, your protein sources need to be ones that will help you feel full, and also will be healthy for your body. You should choose from healthy lean proteins, and incorporate them into your snacks and meals. Below is a list that might help you get some ideas for your meals and snacks.

Healthy Snack Proteins:

1-oz low fat cheese

Hard boiled egg

10 almonds

1 Tbsp peanut butter

1 slice turkey

½ can of tuna

½ cup cottage cheese

3 scrambled egg whites

20 soy nuts

½ of a protein bar

Healthy Meal Proteins:

3-oz grilled chicken

4-oz grilled fish

4-oz tofu

1 large veggie burger

3-oz lean steak or pork

3-oz ground turkey burger

1 can tuna or salmon

Food 3: Fiber

Fiber is good for your health, but it can also help you lose weight. High fiber foods make us fuller longer in several ways. The National Academy of Sciences would like us to eat 21-25 grams of fiber per day. Finding foods high in fiber is not hard, you just need to know where to look and how much to get. A food that provides 3 grams or more per serving is a high fiber food. A general rule is that the less refined or processed a food is, and the more fiber it contains, the more it will help you with hunger control and weight loss in moderate portions. Below are some fiber-fabulous choices.

Food	Serving	Fiber (in grams)
Pear	1 medium	5.1
Dried Figs	2 medium	3.7
Fresh Blueberries	1 cup	3.5
Apple with Peel	1 medium	3.3
Dried Peaches	3 halves	3.3
Dried Apricots	10 halves	2.6
Orange	1 medium	3.1
Raisins	1.5 ounce box	1.6
Fresh Strawberries	1 cup	3.0
Whole Wheat Pasta	1 cup cooked	6.3
Oatmeal	1 cup cooked	4.1
Whole Wheat Bread	1 slice	1.5-3.0
Lentils	1 cup cooked	15.6
Black Beans	1 cup cooked	15.0
Lima Beans	1 cup cooked	13.0
Chick Peas	½ cup	6.2
Peas	1 cup cooked	8.8
Brussel Sprouts	1 cup cooked	6.4
Baked Potato with Skin	1 medium	4.4
Turnip Greens	1 cup boiled/steamed	5.0
Spinach	1 cup boiled/steamed	4.3
Broccoli	1 cup boiled/steamed	4.7
String Beans	1 cup boiled/steamed	4.0

Food 4: Quality Carbs

Quality carbs are also important to your health. Just like there are foods that fill us up without filling us out, there are also foods that can trigger our hunger, potentially causing us to eat more. There are a lot of theories out there about carbs, but let’s explain where the research is clear. Come carbohydrates in the diet are fine, but it’s a question of which ones. Certain carbohydrates promote excessive food intake, making us eat more and maybe too much. An article in the Journal of American Medical Association, it explains that when people eat highly refined carbs, like white bread, their blood sugar may go up and then drop down suddenly. This can make us feel hungrier and eat more. What we want to choose is carbs are unrefined, minimally processed, and choose them in moderate potions.

Substitute a Poor Choice with a Great Choice

Poor Choice	Great Choice
White Bread	Whole Wheat Bread
Dehydrated Potato Flakes	½ Baked Regular or Sweet Potato with Skin
Croutons	Garbanzo Beans
White Rice	Brown Rice
Sugared Cereals	Unsweetened Bran Cereal
Pastry	Whole Wheat Pancake
Apple Juice	Apple with Skin
White Pasta	Whole Wheat Pasta
Soda	Water

Putting It All Together

Here’s how to put all this together when you ask “Is It Smart”?

First, if it is one of the foods mentioned above (a high volume food, lean protein, high fiber choice, or quality carb) then the answer is yes. If you are faced with a food that is not smart, start asking “how can I make this food smarter?”. Instead of hamburger, is there a lean chicken? Instead of sourdough or white bread, is there whole grain? Instead of white rice, how about looking at some healthy veggies? 

Remember that the small substitutions do add up to make a big difference in achieving your weight loss goals.   

Check back soon for the discussion about question 3 of the 3 second guide to eating.

Until next time,

Miranda Harris

BS Exercise Science

NSCA CSCS

ACSM CEP

Be Healthy and Be Strong

Be Healthy and Be Strong….


Physical activity is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle. In combination with healthy eating, it can help prevent a range of chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and stroke, the three leading causes of death. Risk factors for these diseases can begin early in life and be mitigated early in life by adopting regular physical activity habits. Physical activity helps control weight, builds lean muscle, reduces fat, and contributes to a healthy functioning cardiovascular system, hormonal regulatory system, and immune system; promotes strong bone, muscle and joint development; and decreases the risk of obesity. Research has also found that physical activity is related to improvements in mental health, helping to relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety and increase self-esteem. In addition, some studies show that physical activity is correlated with improved academic achievement. According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, children and adolescents should participate in physical activity for at least 60 minutes every day.

The Health and Fitness Academy at Mountain View Hospital gives you the opportunity to get moving and work to achieve your goals.

Less is not a dirty word.

 Less is More…..  

    

So many times in our lives we are told that we need to do more, be more, have more. Society tells us that if we find ourselves unhappy it is because we need something that we do not have. I often ask myself, will I spend my life chasing after what I think will make me happy? Or will I be happy no matter what I have or how many talents I develop? And what are the steps I should take to help me figure out my path to happiness in this moment? I do not think that I am alone in this pursuit so let’s evaluate the facts of life we are facing.

You first challenge is going to be cutting out the information and task overloads we are faced with every day. There are so many small meaningless tasks that fill both our professional and personal lives. Emails, Phones calls, tasks, and busy work that our time is eaten up with them and our true goals are never met. The first thing you have to do is separate the essential, and get rid of all the rest. By reducing the number of tasks in your life and focusing on the essential you will be more productive and your stress levels will be dramatically lower. In Leo Babauta’s book ‘The Power of Less’ he tells readers that three things happen when you cut out the clutter. First you help your life and career become less stress ful. Secondly it stops you from getting spread too thin to make a difference. And finally you teach others that your time is valuable. Here are your first two steps;

Set Practical Limits

You should set limits in every area of your life or career in every area in  which you would like to improve. Start by Analyzing your current usage and pick a limit that you feel would be ideal, test your new limit for a reasonable period of time and evaluate if it works for you or not. If it is not working adjust to a new level that you think will work better and try that. Continue to adjust your limits until you find the perfect level to form a new habit.

Choose what is most essential

The second step is to choose what is essential. Here are 9 questions to help you figure that out.

1-What are your values?

2-What are your goals?

3-What are you Passionate about?

4-What is important to you?

5-What will have the greatest impact?

6-What is the best long term value?

7- Which Items do you actually need and which do you merely want?

8-Which items can you eliminate without any problems?

9.What changes when you take another look at your choices a week or two later?

Now take some time to ponder these things and I will get back to you in a few weeks with your next assignment. It is time to take your power back and find your happiness in the now…….

What do YOU eat?

     As a trainer, I regularly get asked by clients as well as friends, family, and more…what do you eat? This usually leads to more questions about why I eat what I eat. Well, instead of typing it all out for you (I love visuals!), I found this awesome pictograph that Precision Nutrition put together (link below). Do I follow these choices 100% of the time? Nope, but this pictograph represents my thought process behind my healthy choices.

            Hayley’s mental check list when choosing what to eat:

            Where is my protein?

            Where are my veggies? (usually absent because I SUCK at vegetables!)

            Where are my smart carbs?

            Where is my healthy fat?

            How much water have I had today?

     I hope this visual helps you get started in the right path!

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/create-the-perfect-meal-infographic

Until next time,

Hayley Earley, BS, CSCS, Pn1

hearley@mvhospital.net

Health & Fitness Academy