I caught a glimpse of small Bobcat plowing a long stretch of running path near my house yesterday, and thought, “Yippeee! I can run outside!        F-I-N-A-L-L-Y!” And so I did. And it was harder. So thought I’d share some helpful tips for you, avid runner girls, to ease the transition from treadmill to trail.

5 Tips for taking your run outdoors

1. The first run outside after a long winter of treadmill running WILL BE HARDER. If you haven’t stepped foot outdoors since the first snowfall, which for Ohio folk, was before Christmas, then you might want to spend a couple of weeks weaning yourself off the treadmill. If “0″ incline is your standard setting for indoor runs, gradually start bumping it up in .5% grades until you reach 2 or 2.5% incline. Why?  Because that incline most closely mimics the natural terrain.

2. Outdoors, the trail does not move for you. Sure, treadmill workouts can be very challenging, especially if you’re using the inclines for hill repeats, etc. But let’s face it – it is mentally challenging enough to run inside on the hamster wheel without adding the challenge of making our muscles work harder than you want them to they need to. Expect your first outdoor run to feel different. Your legs might be expecting the pull the treadmill gave them through each stride. Now, you have to do all that work. Alas, this is not a bad thing.

3. Do hit the ground running, but not at full throttle. As you accustom your muscles and joints to their somewhat new motor pattern, it is probably wise to ease into your typical run. If you usually run 30 minutes indoors, start with 20 outdoors, and gradually work back up to 30 minutes.

4. Watch your hat. Depending on where you live, spring can be very windy. Again, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it provides resistance and helps improve endurance. But indoors, there is no wind to contend with, except from the chatterboxes nearby. I could spend an entire post venting about these chatty sorts who talk 90% of the time and exercise the other 10, but not today. If you wear a hat, bobby pin it to your head, or skip it altogether – otherwise, the constant tugging on it to keep it on your head will drive you crazy. It drove me crazy this morning.

5. Get new scoots. If you’ve been wearing the same pair of running shoes all winter and have logged 300 or more miles on them, treat yourself to a new pair. Whether the path you run on outdoors is concrete, asphalt, or packed dirt, it will be harder on your skeleton than the forgiving structure of the treadmill. A brand new pair of shoes will add some cushioning to help you transition from treadmill to trail.

Adios, and here’s to an enjoyable outdoor run! Finally!

Today, another awesome guest post about healthy eating on the cheap. If you didn’t catch Wednesday’s post, check it out here…

How to Buy Cheap and Healthy Food

It is one thing to want to eat healthy, but it’s something else to try to pay for it! Unfortunately, unhealthy items, like boxed macaroni, chips, and cookies are often times cheaper than premium produce. If you are looking for the best way to buy healthy options in regular and organic foods, here are some tips to help you out:

• Start out by scouting out farmers markets. This is often the best way to purchase organic foods, which means that they are free from pesticides. If you have ever looked at the price difference of regular and organic food in the grocery store, I’m sure that you have noticed a significant difference. However, you can often barter at a farmers market, and you will get even better deals for purchasing in bulk if you can!
• This leads me to my next point, which is joining a co-op. This is something that you can do with friends or a group of farmers, but you will have a discount on organic foods from purchasing within the co-op. Co-ops are mostly within local areas, and you will pay small dues. However, you can create your own co-op with friends for organic produce by each purchasing in bulk to save money and share with one another. This is an affordable way to have fresh organic produce!
• When you are at the grocery store, look for beans as a healthy treat and a valuable protein source. Cooking dried beans, like pinto beans, lentils, garbanzo beans, and black beans are all low in fat, and they are full of fiber to beef up your diet. They can be used in soups, salads, or as a side dish, and they are much more filling and satisfying than a Big Mac any day!
• Look for sweet potatoes as a healthy and cheap side dish in the grocery store. Sweet potatoes are much healthier than regular potatoes, especially if you prepare them in a way where they are not fried or drenched in butter. Try a baked sweet potato or even baked sweet potato fries as a delicious treat that almost tastes like a real french fry!

These tips are just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak, when it comes to learning how to purchase healthy and inexpensive foods. It is so much better for you and the environment to eat organic, and it doesn’t have to

Chuggin McCoffee is a coffee fanatic that has spent the entirety of his career cultivating and studying all of the best uses and brewing styles for optimal coffee and espresso flavor. His specialty site for all coffee needs, supplies, and commercial coffee makers can be found at The Coffee Bump

1. Write it down. Keep a notebook labeled “2008 Goals” and on the first page, write down 5-10 resolutions (these are really goals) for the year. Write them in the present, personal-tense and make them time-sensitive. For example, “I am a regular exerciser who works out 3 times per week for 20-30 mins each session, by May 1, 2008.” Everyday for one month, rewrite your goals first thing in the morning, without looking at your previous days’ goals. Read them aloud and with emotion every evening before bed. Do this for 30 days, and you’ll be amazed at how focused, energized and confident you become. Your resolutions aren’t just wishes – they are realities.

2.  Create a plan. A goal without a plan for action is really just a wish. Each of the goals you wish to accomplish must come with a plan for getting it done. Sit down, with pen in hand, and outline all of the steps necessary to reach your goal. Then prioritize that list into the steps that will get you there. Each day, focus only on the task at hand and stay with that task until it is complete, then move on to the next step. A solid plan and laser-like focus are the keys to achieving your goals.

3.  Assess your barriers. What changes need to be made in order to make your resolution stick? If it is a time barrier, can you find time by giving up another activity, such as watching tv? If it is lack of social support, then maybe finding a friend or neighbor who can help keep you motivated will fit the bill.

4. Start with one small change.  Sometimes resolving to make a major change in your life only leads to disappoint. If the change is too complex, involves too many variables, or if you haven’t really bought into the idea of change, but “wish” it to happen, we often end up procrastinating. Instead of getting to the end of the year and realizing you haven’t taken any steps toward your goal, start with something small. For example, if your goal is to lose 20 lbs, just start by losing 1lb. Set a deadline for that small goal, and when you achieve it, go for the next pound.

5. Enlist the help of friends and family. The role of social support, especially within the context of health behavior change, can’t be emphasized enough. With out our cheerleaders, we’re less likely to succeed. When you’ve decided on your goal(s) for the year, tell your family/friends your plans and ask them to help support you along the way. This support could take many forms, but here are a couple of examples:

• Problem: You’d like to take a walk everyday, but are tempted to procrastinate when there are other things on your “to do” list that seem more important. Solution: See if there is anything on your list that you can delegate to family members, freeing up some time for you to walk

• Problem: Your spouse thinks exercise interferes with time spent with you. Solution: Include your spouse in your activities by biking, walking, jogging together.

6. Make a contract with yourself. Draw up a contract, clearly stating your goals and your plan to achieve them, then sign and date it just as you would a legally binding document, then treat it as such. Post your contract in an obvious place where you must see it daily. This will serve as your reminder that you’ve made a commitment to something and you can’t give up.

7.  Hold yourself accountable. You, and only you, are responsible for whether or not you stick to your resolutions. Self-doubt and excuses have halted the progress of many would-be achievers. Don’t let that happen to you. Believe in yourself, keep working toward your goals, and don’t stop trying until you get there.

8.  Take it one day at a time. Rather than view the year in its entirety and succumb to overwhelming feelings that paralyze you from moving forward, just work one day at a time. Each day, do one thing that moves you closer to your goal. Over time, all of those “one days” add up to a lot of days.

9. Ask, and you shall receive. When you’re stumped, stuck and stagnant, maybe all you need is a little boost in the form of help. Women are especially prone to doing, doing, doing and never asking for a hand. Everyone needs a little help now and then, so don’t be afraid to ask. The “Ask a trainer” section on our website is an ideal place to get advice, so use it!

10.  Make your goals achievable. If you don’t buy the fact that you can lose 2 lbs per week for the next 10 weeks, then perhaps your goal needs a little tweaking. Instead, shoot for ½ lb/week. This is more achievable. Once you’re confident that you can consistently lose 1/2lb/week, try for 3/4lb/week. Once you’ve mastered that, try for 1lb, and so on until you’ve reached your goal weight.

11.  Learn how to pat your own back when no one else will. We’ve all experience those times when we’ve done a great job and no one is there to say, “hey, you did so awesome and I’m proud of you!” It’s okay to be your own cheerleader. It’s okay to feel good about all of your great accomplishments, even if you’re the only one in the room when it happens. Toot your own horn! Put a big smile on your face and acknowledge your own greatness!

12.  Make your resolutions a little bit challenging. If the resolution is too easy, then you’ll likely procrastinate doing it. If it is too difficult, you may not even try at all. But if the resolution is just challenging enough that you’re pushed a tiny bit out of your comfort zone, you’ll grow as a person, develop the self-confidence to keep achieving as you progress along the way, and you’ll be more likely to not only reach your goal, but continue to set other goals.