Day 4 Why Run? When you can Walk!!

The first Minds In Motion Walking Conference is sold out!!

Day 4 Why Run? When You Can Walk!!

We are really, really excited about the Move Your Body Change Your Mind Walking Conference that is happening in Waterloo tomorrow.  We are sold out and we have an amazing roster of presenters from all over southern Ontario that will be here sharing their wisdom with the attendees.

We are featuring workshops that are geared for all levels of walkers from the beginner to the novice race walker and even a fairly new flavour of walking technique that is called Chi Walking!
Check out our race website for details at: www.kwwalkingclassic.com

This is the very first conference of it's kind in Canada with a focus on walking as an athletic endeavor. There are a growing number of us that want to get out there and walk and reap the benefits that can be derived from an increase in muscle power through employing higher levels of technique.

At the conference I am presenting a talk relating to exercise and it's effects on the brain.  This is an area I have been investigating for many years, not as a neuroscientist but as a family member, concerned member of the fitness profession and society in general. 

We need to spread the word that exercise is a holistic path to better mental health for all of us and that we can inoculate ourselves against the devastating effects of the unending stress that faces us on a daily basis. Walking is great and some of us love to set walking goals and do races but we are doing far more for our brains than most of us realize. 

A huge thank you goes out to our conference presenters:
Lee Scott of WOW Power Walking in and around Toronto
Rogers Burrows of the Bytown Walkers in Ottawa
Dick Felton  Certified Chi Walking instructor, Sarnia
Rebecca Thompson  Homewood Health Center, Guelph
Stephen Filipowicz  of K W Pilates, Waterloo
and Dave Lewis of Walk On Strong! in Kitchener Waterloo

Let's start a movement ... around movement ... Walk On Strong!

Sue

Day 25 What to Eat after the Race

Day 25 What to Eat after the Race
 

After the Niagara Half Marathon ... my first walking 21K about 7 years ago!

 I was asked to write something for a magazine about post race food suggestions so I thought I would share it with you here. 

ALSO : BIG NEWS!!

The Minds In Motion K W Walking Classic May 11, 2014 will be open for registration on Saturday, October 5 and we have killer Early Bird prices available for only 3 weeks. 
Create a goal for the winter training  ... it will get you out the door!

 Register Here for the K W Walking Classic!

Here is the article as promised:


3 Things to Consider When Choosing Your Post Race Meal

As a fitness professional for over 25 years teaching everything from aqua-fit to group cycling classes to high impact aerobics I have always had my radar up for information around sports nutrition. I have participated in many race events and the food that you find at the end of an event can help to restore if it has the right components. There are usually a variety of choices at the finish line buffet and if you're careful you can avoid the food that will drag you down and make the best decisions for building your body back up.

Here are a few rules you could follow to choose your best post race fare:
#1
Eat within half an hour to get the maximum benefit from your refueling. You may not feel like eating right away so grab a bottle of water to rehydrate and walk to cool down and stretch your body. Then it's time to get over to that food table!

#2
Include carbohydrate and protein, which are essential to recovery, in your post race meal.  During your event you have been burning up the carbs for immediate energy and protein is an important building block for your muscles.  A good carb choice would be some kind of whole grain like a bagel. Bagels are high in calories and dense but if you just walked a half marathon you can probably afford the indulgence and adding some cream cheese to your bagel will add that protein you are looking for.
For your protein component you would also be doing well to choose yogurt and if Greek yogurt is available it packs a lot more protein. If you add a little granola and some almonds to your yogurt you have a great combination of carbs and protein to refuel.

#3
Choose a piece of fruit. Fresh fruit is always a great source of carbohydrates and fiber and if you want to maximize the benefit, choose a banana. Bananas pack a nutritional punch that really can't be beat. They contain potassium, magnesium, vitamin B6 and C in higher levels than most fruit. Bananas help restore your body and they are also a good food to have before a long walk or run especially if they are dipped in a little nut butter to give you that extra protein boost.

When you are at the end of a long race be sure to take care of yourself: rehydrate, cool down and stretch and make sure you stick to the whole food basics that will refuel that amazing body of yours.


Walk On Strong!
Sue

Day 9 New Albany Walking Classic

Day 9 New Albany Walking Classic September 8, 2013

We are back from New Albany, Ohio and the biggest and best race for walkers in the United States, the New Albany Walking Classic!! This is an event not to be missed! The event sold out early this year to the targeted 3000 participants so it was a very impressive start with the entire 10K and Half Marathon group lining up at 8 a.m..

It was a hot and humid day for the race but for the first 10 K we wandered through the beautiful shady streets of New Albany and were entertained by all kinds of talented bands, cheerleaders and individuals that made the time and kilometers fly by!  

It was just about here that we waved goodbye to the 10K walkers.

Then we were directed on with a great big sign!   Notice the handsome guy behind the sign ... that's my husband Dave.

I was in the half marathon group and we continued upward and onward ( there is a slow hill that goes on for about 5K so we were really heading upward) to our turn around point down more rural roads and then we were heading back to the finish ( yipee! downhill! ) and then a huge array of food and fun for the participants.

I have to say I was glad to have my friend Sue (that's right Sue and Sue walking the half marathon!) to encourage me along.  It is always a good idea to have someone that you can share all those kilometers with ... it goes a lot faster and helps you get to the finish.

Congratulations to our Walk On Strong members who came to New Albany with us! Michael did a super fast 2 hours and 35 minutes. I haven't checked on Samantha's time yet but I know she made it across the finish before I did! She did a great race!

I had a few tender toes after the race and a little stiffness but all in all we made it through to the end and we are ready for the next challenge. I always say that if you don't hurt a little after a race ... you didn't walk fast enough!

This fellow could juggle this sign ... he was amazing!

Thank you New Albany! 

A special thank you to Dr. Phil Heit, the race founder and race director, and his wife Cheryl Heit who are such amazing, energetic and inspiring individuals.

I am feeling inspired to get going and get out there even more to walk and train for the next event.  I haven't picked one yet but that may have to wait until the next blog. If you have any ideas I would love to hear them. 

I even went out today and replaced my FitBit walking tracker.  I seem to have left it in Calgary when I was there and no one could find it.  It is an amazing little fitness gizmo ... more on that another day.
Until then ... walk on strong!

Sue

Day 6 Walking and depression

 

Walking with friends lifts your spirits!

Day 6 Walking and depression

I was just browsing around the web and checked in on one of my favorite websites www.everybodywalk.org.  It is a website that promotes walking 30 minutes a day and so you can see why I might be a big fan!

They have been working hard to promote walking as a way to get   people out the door and improve their health.  Here is a quote directly from the Every Body Walk site:
"Walking only 30 minutes a day can make a difference in your health. We’ve brought in medical experts to offer advice on getting started; we met up with walking groups to inspire ideas to bring walking to your community; and tracked down success stories to prove that walking really can improve your overall health."

There is a series of videos here that pull together ways that you can stay motivated ... reasons to walk. One video that I watched today reinforced the idea that walking is as effective as an antidepressant in dealing with depression. The psychologist, presents a strong case for walking instead of heading to your doctor for a medication that just might have side effects that can make things worse.

Depression is not a simple matter and there are times when medication is definitely appropriate but I think that it is easy to dismiss walking as something that is just too simple to make a difference.

Research is focusing on walking and its impact on depression ... here is a quote from Psychology Today.
 "There is a great deal of evidence that exercise not only improves mood and enhances well being but also is an effective intervention for depression" writes Michael W. Otto, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology at Boston University. "That is, well-conducted clinical trials have repeatedly shown mood benefit from exercise in adults with clinical depression. Indeed, there is evidence that exercise provides benefits at levels similar to that found for antidepressant medication."

Take some time to go to this link and check out the CityWalk: Walking and Depression Video at the Every BodyWalks website. There is also a great selection of other videos and information that will motivate you to walk30.

My husband and I were just talking about how wonderful it is to have a group of people to walk with every week. Walking for 30 minutes seems as though it flies by when you are walking with people, telling stories and catching up. One of the big blessings in our life is our Walk On Strong community.

If you are having trouble getting out to walk30 ... find someone to walk with. If you are anywhere near Kitchener Waterloo ... come join us.
Walk On Strong!
Sue

Day 29 Benefits of walking 30 minutes a day

Join me in the August Walk30 Challenge!

Day 29 Benefits of walking 30 minutes a day

If you haven't made a visit to the ShareCare website, which is the new home of RealAge, it is well worth your time.  Real Age is a tool that asks you all kinds of health and lifestyle questions and then computes what your real age is ... health wise. It is an amazing tool and also gives you ideas as to how you can lower the number that you have now and live a longer and healthier life. 
That would be my goal!!

I was checking my email this morning and I had a newsletter from ShareCare.  I just love getting news about walking and this was entitled 5 Big Reasons To Walk. It talks about reasons that could motivate you to walk at least 30 minutes a day. Check it out!

If you are looking for a goal ... why not sign on for a Walk30 in August ... come walk with us ... every day for 30 days.  Challenge yourself to get out the door and Walk30!  

Walk On Strong,
Sue

Day 23 Get fit in just a few minutes a week? It's true!

Day 23 Walking Fast - Walking Slow ... it's all good!
 

Here we are ... in Paris ... starting out on yet another walk around the city.

 Yes, it is true ... walking is the magic bullet for both your physical and your mental health.  All you have to do is get out the door!

We are always on the lookout for reasons to walk that are highlighted in research and in the news.  This weekend we found a few interesting articles in the New York Times and at The Daily Mail website from the UK.  

One article was about HIT, High Intensity Interval training.  The article outlines the amazing the results that a few MINUTES ( that's right, minutes!) of 'as fast as you can' walking or high intensity exercise intervals in any sport can have.  I encountered the concept years ago as a group cycling instructor and have been totally convinced of the power of this simple training technique ever since It was easy to convert H.I.T. to fit with our power walking routine.

Walking at top speed, your personal top speed, for even 20 seconds and repeating that 20 second burst of intensity 3 or 4 times in a half hour walk can create amazing benefits. The super fast intervals are always followed with at least 3 to 5 minutes of recovery.  Every workout needs a warm up, a cool down and stretch ... your done in just around a half hour. Repeat this routine a few times a week and you will reap tremendous benefit.
Check out this article to see what a difference it made in the health of the author.  Here is the link:  How minutes of exercise a week changed my life  written by Vincent Graff
 
H.I.T will be one of the things you can learn more about at the Minds In Motion Walking Conference on Saturday, October 5 2013 in Waterloo, Ontario. (Check out www.kwwalkingclassic.com for more information and registration.)
 
The other article was from The NY Times and it was about the benefits of taking a walk after dinner.  Just getting out the door 15 minutes after eating for a brief walk has a major impact on the way you will metabolize your food, your digestion and also has a significant effect on your blood sugar levels ... great reason to come out to walk on Tuesdays!  Here is the article: Really? The Claim: Taking a Walk After a Meal Aids Digestion  . Written by By ANAHAD O'CONNOR

Although I am not here writing as often I am still getting in my walk30 each day ... some days it's a short walk in the evening and other days a longer walk with more energy behind it.  

I am registered for the New Albany Walking Classic Half Marathon so I have to kick it up a notch before the event on September 8th.  If you haven't heard about the New Albany Walking Classic ... the best and one of the only walkers only races in the USA ... be sure to check it out at this link! New Albany Walking Classic.   This is an event with awesome bling and everything that the very best running event has and more!  The only thing that you have to keep in mind ... no running or you will be disqualified! Walkers love this race and New Albany is like a sister event to the Minds In Motion K W Walking Classic. Sadly their event is sold out at 3000 participants in the 10K and the Half Marathon but there is always next year.
 
Group Walks This Week
If you happen to be anywhere near Waterloo Ontario (maybe a holiday trip??) meet us at Waterloo Public Square on King Street in front of Shoppers Drugmart. Same time every week and we are always there!
Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. for a 5K walk
Saturday at 8 a.m. for a 12K walk
Saturday at 9 a.m. for a 5Kish walk
Please join us at Seven Shores Cafe on Regina Street for a coffee or breakfast after our walk .... everyone welcome!

Walk On Strong,
Sue
For more information go to WWW.KWWALKINGCLASSIC.COM

Day 13 Birthday in Paris!

Champagne orange juice and french pastries! ... ooo la la!

Day 13 Birthday in Paris!

I had a hard time deciding what to do today because it was raining (the first real day of rain since we arrived :(   oh well. We had been talking about a cruise on the Seine with a dinner but the weather was not really saying "oui" to that idea.  I wrote in my journal and read a little but shortly after 3 p.m. the rain was still pouring down so we decided to head out anyway ...toward the center of Paris.  We took the Metro which was unusual for us too ... we have been walking everywhere. 

We went shopping on the Rue de Rivoli for quite a while and while we were shopping the rain stopped so we went looking for food.   We went for dinner near the Louvre to a restaurant that was recommended in one of our guide books ... Le Fumoir ... very good!
After dinner we wandered across the street and encountered an amazing group of people ... all in white ... enjoying some feasting near the pyramid at the Louvre ... hundreds of them ... they all brought tables and food and drink and seemed to be having a grand time! A movable feast! Later we did some research and found out that this was the 25th anniversary of the "White Dinner" which is held every year in a different location (which is a secret until very close to the event) in Paris.

We were thinking of a cruise after dinner but it was getting after 10 p.m. and we missed the boat ... so to speak. 

To end the day we sat on the river watching the cruise ships pass by and then took the metro home to our  apartment. 

We are really enjoying your little home ... it is a wonderful place to arrive at when the day is done ... a good retreat and quiet.

A wonderful birthday!

Walk On Strong!
Sue