My  six month blogging hiatus only nudged my rankings a mere 8,000,000 – fabulous! S’ok, because I have lots of new fitness information to share and more time to dedicate to parlaying that information to you (ahhh, smile).

Since my last post (October), our family has moved to the northcoast of Ohio, where we enjoyed a very cold and snowy winter. We celebrated birthdays, made new friends, and explored new territory. I’m sorry that all of that chaos took me offline for a bit, but you’ll be glad to know that my commitment to unearthing the latest, most trustworthy health and fitness information is still as tight as ever In February I had the pleasure of attending the IDEA Personal Trainer’s Conference in Alexandria, VA with a long-time friend and fellow trainer. After attending this awesome event (seriously, REALLY awesome), I believe more than ever that the very best authorities on fitness training are the ones relaying that knowledge to the trainers who attend these conferences. To summarize, I learned a ton, and I’m excited to get to it and torture clients with my updated skills, and pass along great info to my readers too! Yay!

Back in a bit…

I peeked at the calendar and realized summer is one month away. Eeeek! I’m not ready to bare all in my bathing suit! Are you? Luckily, I found some super good deals this week to, um, shall we say, help us me “prepare” for hotter weather and, inevitably, wearing fewer clothes. Yikes!

Deal #1: If you don’t already own a stability ball (also called a resistance ball, or Swiss ball), never was there a better time to own one than now. Stability balls are my #1 tool/toy (see: 5 Low-Cost Items Every Home Gym Needs). They are great for core work and a myriad other exercises. SPRI is offering a pink (yeah!) Xercise Ball and Xertube for only $24.98 (reg. $39.98). The kit also includes a pump for the ball and exercise instructions for both the stability ball and resistance tube.

Deal #2:Shipping is still FREE until May 31st on all fitness products from Perform Better. Seriously, stock…up….now! Shipping for a 10lb medicine ball, for example, would normally run you $12 to $20! Think of all the other stuff you can buy (tubes, mats, dumbbells) with the money you save on shipping.

Deal #3:$1.00 Coupon for Pamela’s Baking Mixes. Pamela’s baking mixes are spectacular. Of the assortment, I have tried the pancake mixes (delicious) and the Chocolate Chunk (notice, no “chip” here, but CHUNK) Cookie mix. The pancakes are great. The Choc. Chunk Cookies – OMG! The best I’ve ever had. And – they are gluten free, GMO free, and organic. Whoopie! Visit Mambo Sprouts to print a $1.00 coupon ($1.00 off of two Pamela’s Baking Mixes)

Free: Recipes from EatingWell! This week, EatingWell posted “light” versions of your picnic standby’s (potato and pasta salad, deviled eggs, summer cocktails…even cookies and brownies), so that you can still throw or attend a party, and stay on track with healthy eating.

I have a burning question for you. What is your health/fitness goal? Do you have one? And, of equal importance, do you know how to get their?

I have lots of goals, but I’ve come to realize that some of them aren’t actionable now, or in the near future, so for the moment, they are really just “wishes.” Let me repeat…a goal without a plan for action is really just a wish. Or, maybe you’ve heard the saying, “a failure to plan is planning to fail.” When you have a target in sight, the best way to reach it is to map out a plan, then stick to it as best as you can.

Try this…focus on the one goal you’d like to reach before the end of the year, or before your next birthday.  Then, sit down with pen in hand and outline all of the steps necessary to reach your goal, but try something different this time — begin at the end. State your goal, then write down the step(s) most likely to occur immediately prior to reaching that goal, then the step(s) before that, etc. until you reach the number one, most important task you must do first in order to begin your journey. If your list appears less straightforward, then by all means, take the time to prioritize your list. Begin with the most important first step. If that step feels overwhelming, see if you can break it down into smaller steps. Each day, focus only on the task at hand and stay with that task until it is complete. DO NOT move on to the next step until the prior one is complete. A solid plan and laser-like focus are the keys to achieving your goals.

Sample plan:

10. I am a marathon runner by October 1, 2008 by having completed the Up Hill In the Wind Backwards Marathon on Sept. 30^th, 2008.”

9. Now, the step just prior to that might be, “wake up confident, eat a healthy breakfast, and mentally prepare for the race.”

8.“Adhere to my training plan for 24 weeks and put my training plan in writing.”

7. “Figure out how many weeks I will train for the race.”

6. “Research which training plan best fits my schedule, training style, and experience.”

5. “Visit my doctor for a complete physical and necessary blood-work to ensure I’m fit to train for a marathon”

4. “Decide whether training alone or in a group is best for me”

3. “Look up local marathon-training groups, such as MIT, Team in Training, or others”

2. Decide which marathon I’m interested in training for.

1. Consult with a dietician to design the best marathon-training-nutrition plan.

Give it a shot using your own goal, then stop back and let me know how it went – I’d love to hear all about it!