Tracy Gets Ready for First 5K!

Below is the success story from one of the members of the Ibuki Wellness Fitness Team. I met Tracy way back when I was a college freshman. We reconnected at our 20^th reunion last summer. Her story is inspiring because she never was a runner. She got into shape using the Couch to 5K program and as a result, she’ll run her first race, the 5K portion of the Eugene (Oregon) Marathon, on April 30. Out of all the members on the Fitness Team she has shown the most dedication and has made the most progress.

Below is an update she sent me:

I completed the final workout of the 9 week "Couch to 5k" program this morning.  I am now running 30 minutes, and I'm planning to keep increasing my distance until I get to about 3.3 miles running.  I want to be comfortable going a little more than 5k.  I'm still not fast, but I'll work on that later.  I am planning to run a 5k in 2 weeks, but we're having a little difficulty with the sign up and I'm hoping it's not canceled. :( 

For my workout today, my running buddy and I ran the course for the upcoming race.  I'm SO glad we checked it out ahead of time, because I was expecting a nice, flat course.  Actually, it is very hilly, with lots of little (but steep) hills.  We've decided to do a couple more runs there to prepare us for the race.

The key to my success was having a buddy to run with.  She pushes my pace a little and we cheer each other on.  Most importantly, I know I can't skip a workout because I won't be able to keep up next time!  That has kept me going on those solo treadmill nights.

After a couple weeks at the 5k distance, we will start the "Bridge to 10k" program, with the goal of running the Steve Prefontaine Memorial run in September.  It is a very challenging course with long hills.  My goal is just to finish--which will still be a personal record for me!

Tracy, good luck!

Philip

Fitness Team: End of Week 6

Last Sunday April 10, 2011 marks the end of week 6 in my 12-week fitness program.

A reasonable question you might have is how are my results?

In 2 short months, I’ve made great progress. I can once again run along the Charles River at the same pace I ran when I was in high school in 1986. My jeans are getting looser in the waist and my shirts are getting tighter in the chest and shoulders. I have more energy to run up and down the playground equipment with my 4-year-old daughter.

I accomplished my results through a combination of:

- moral support from my wife and daughter

- having a plan to get fit (I used the Body for Life)

- high-intensity weight and cardio workouts,

- eating healthier home cooked meals,

- taking nutritional supplements, and

- being accountable to the Ibuki Wellness Fitness Team.

One thing I've noticed is that the people on the team who have done the best have a clear goal of what they want to accomplish and a plan to get there. The good news is that the plans aren't even complicated and it doesn't even have to be something you've created from scratch. For example Tracy, who is not a runner undertook a Couch to 5K program. After 9 weeks of training that gradually got more difficult, she is now ready to run her first race. Then there's my wife Junko who always wanted to learn how to dance ballet. She signed up for a 10-week beginner's course and never missed a class.

So in reviewing how I did for weeks 1-6, there are a couple of areas where I need to focus for weeks 7-12.

Timing

I generally completed my workouts in the afternoon, but there were a few times when I worked out at 10:00 pm or later, followed by the final meal of the day. Obivously late night eating is not what I need to be doing. Going forward, I need to plan on always working out before 6 am, but if that's not possible, then I need to complete my workout and eat my last meal by 8:00 pm

Nutrition

This part is the hardest. Now that I'm working out more my appetite is increasing. Great! But over the last couple of weeks I find myself cheating here and there with cookies on non-cheat days. Not great. I need to make sure I'm not gorging myself with junk food. Going forward I need to plan my meals the night before, eat proper portions, and eat all 6 meals (averging 4-5). This means more coordination with the family on what we can eat and better timing with my work calendar.

Over the next week I’ll post some of the Team members’ success stories on my blog so stay tuned.

If you want support with your own fitness goals, feel free to participate in the weekly conference call. The call this week is cancelled but we’ll be back on track April 19 at 8 pm EDT. Drop me an email at philip.harris@ibukiwellness.com and I’ll send you the dial in details and how to access the call on Skype.

Philip