Powered By Blogger

Monday, April 29, 2013

Slumber Time Prep

Well, sleep is at it again while giving us the ins and outs of older and useful information as well as newer and useful information. This information on sleep comes at a good time of the year as changes occur in our bodies an din the environment. Even professional athletes must pay more attention to proper sleep since they are involved in post-season playoffs and title hunts.

By the way, I have the Montreal Canadiens coming out of the NHL Eastern Conference and the San Antonio Spurs coming out of the NBA Western Conference.

Our neighbors to the north Midwest in Green Bay, Wisconsin may get the most sleep or attempts at slobbering out of any other metro area. Since it is still international month with TEEM, supposedly, France may receive the most sleep. C'est la vie, I guess. In any case, I am a proponent of afternoon naps. They are needed. Adults definitely miss out on 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. Actually, most adults miss out on that sleep range. So, why not sleep during the middle of the day for about 20 minutes? I remember matriculating to first grade as a six-year-old and thought, "Man, no more naptime?"

Highly disappointed, but I adjusted.

Then, college arrives.

Now, sleep is like a hot commodity. It is like gold and a sale at Whole Foods because you just want to get it. Which reminds me. I need some sleep right now!

For more sleep deprivation information, check out the CDC's (Centers for Disease Control) report on slumbering.

To see more TEEM blogs on sleep check out the following:
Tale of the Tape: Time vs. Priority
Sleep: On the Go and Stepping Back
Rest, Sleep, Results - Part 1

Purpose and Development,
Derek

Derek Arledge, CSCS           TEEM Performance Training            www.teempt.com

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Exercise of the Week: Walking and Running

Some cities are built and become great walking and running cities. The scenery, the number of people actively participating, and the accessibility to good paths lead the way. we see this domestically and internationally.

The weather is too nice outdoors not to engage in these two free movements. The mornings are crisp to walk or run, and the evenings present some nice breathing weather. If you chomp down on a nice dinner, since the sun sets later, you have plenty of time to take a walk outdoors. If you are willing to run before your dinner, then you have plenty of light and quite possibly plenty of company in other runners on your post-work trot.

You can walk or run as long as you would like, but do not forget to warm up and to cool down. With all of the outdoor apparel on sale or in stores, it is as if everyone is being encouraged to get outdoors for some free vitamin D. From the stay-at-home parent to the 9 to 5 worker, it is an optimal time to get in this easy activity.

Nine to fivers, talk a walk and eat a good lunch. If you have a 30-minute lunch break and bring your own lunch, then you could get away with a longer movement period. If you work at a place with a shower, what is wrong with sweating and taking a good run? Lastly, if you work by a playground or by an outdoor fitness equipment area, by all means bust out some reps. You will be the in-shape man/woman on campus.

So, this exercise of the week engages the individual, the co-worker, families, friends, and even other neighbors who may see you gallivanting around the area. Get your shoes ready!

Purpose and Development,
Derek

Derek Arledge, CSCS          TEEM Performance Training          www.teempt.com

Rest, Sleep, Results - Part 1

Rest and sleep are vastly different.
Rest includes rest intervals, which comprise of shorter and very short rest to even simply a pause.

Sleep consists of controlling your circadian rhythms. Period.

You can rest and close your eyes. You can sleep and close your eyes. Rest involves short and long term recovery. In fact, it is a form of recovery. Sleep is a more extended version of recovery, and includes rest that searches for dreams. Rest tells your body, "OK, we need a break." Sleeps tells your body, "OK, we are done." Both of them are very important in many aspects. Sleep, on the other hand, has received entirely a lot of attention over the past few years. It seems that around spring daylight savings time, the topic of sleep increases.

These are just a few of many public articles on sleep:

Lack of Deep Sleep
How Much Sleep

There will be more on this topic to come. Sleep well.

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Spring 2013 Food Challenge

 


Would you participate in this challenge?As a part of International Theme Month with TEEM, it is important to concentrate on moderation. Ah, if you noticed, many ethnic restaurants give you food in correct moderation. However, our American (that includes all of the Americas) instinct is to eat in poly-moderation. So, here is the challenge:

How much do you pay for a salad at a grocery store? I'm not talking about the per pound price. I am referring to the total price? You can go anywhere to get it. However, it would be fun to compare the total price at one grocery store versus the total price at Whole Foods. I admit that I am Whole Foods fan when it comes to their salad bar. It is like going to the beach in the Caribbean, knowing that U.S. beaches cannot compare. Whole Foods' salad bar is immaculate looking, fresh, and scrumptious.

Expensive? OK, prove it. Below are my last three salad totals from Whole Foods:

$6.90, $5.18, and $6.54 for a total of $18.62. It comes to an average per salad/trip of $6.20. There were not any sales.

I know it depends on the weight of the salad; otherwise it there would not be a per pound price. But, I am presuming that many individuals fear high-priced per pound salad bars because they are highly priced. However, I am willing to believe that the lower-priced salad bars are more expensive based on what people put in their salads. Basically, would you bravely eat at a Whole Foods salad bar, getting choice foods, and foods that you need or go to your local salad bar, which may not look fresh, and weigh down your salad with a bunch of food that includes croutons and other heavy vittles?

It's price vs. price, fresh vs. spoiling, immaculate vs. fruit flies. Which one do you choose? Can you beat $5.18 at a salad bar that is $4.99/lbs based on what you would like to put in your salad and based on the amount you think you will and should eat?

It is hard to measure the rules, but let's try it anyway. You cannot just simply put lettuce in your salad and call it a meal. You can, however, put in what you feel like eating at that time. Here are the ingredients to my $5.18 salad: kale, arugula, shredded carrots, some turkey thing they had, some rice mixture (I did not pay attention to the other ingredients), and yellow peppers. It was what I wanted. It was in moderation. But, please step up to this challenge. I really think many individuals are paying more for OK food when they can pay less for better food. You do not have to endorse Whole Foods as your go-to place. But, if you are paying just slightly less for some items at a regular grocery store, then you are doing yourself a disservice. Plus, you are saying that you are a "balla".

Purpose and Development,
Derek

Derek Arledge, CSCS           TEEM Performance Training            www.teempt.com

Boston Marathon Perspective

The photos included were taken from my cell phone camera and not taken from the Internet.

We are over the 24-hour period after the bombings occurred at the 2013 Boston Marathon. It is sad to see the photos that are floating around and the stories of those who have been affected. It is eerie to think about why someone or people would attack an innocent race on a festive and commemorating day. People cheered for strangers as they ran 26.2 miles in from Hopkinton, MA. I remember standing on the side giving high-fives to U.S. soldiers and other runners who held out their hands at mile 25.5. The Red Sox game had just ended, people were laughing, cheering, walking, taking photos, texting, knowing that it was Marathon Monday.

Everyone around the area immediately looked toward Boylston Street, the site of the finish line when we heard a...BOOM!

..."What was that?"..."Were those pyrotechnics?"..."It is Patriot's Day. May be they are having a show." "That's weird."

BOOM!

It was not a show. The cop standing in front of me listened in on her radio. Then, she scampered across the road to her police partner while runners were slowly making their way toward the underpass where Massachusetts Avenue meets Commonwealth Avenue. When she came back over, someone asked, "What's going on?". She said, "They are trying to find out." In the meantime, roughly 30 cops on foot, in cars, on bikes, and on motorcycles zoomed down the other side of Commonwealth Avenue toward the scene.

It definitely was not a show now.

Someone in the vicinity mentioned that they were stopping the marathon. Runners started to pile up to a halt where Commonwealth Avenue goes under Massachusetts Avenue. People were diligently trying to find out the details on social media. In just a couple of minutes or less, the lines were jammed. It was difficult to get information. One of my high school classmates was in town to cheer his sister on, so we were trying to communicate back and forth. I attempted to notify other people who may be watching the race on television.


                       
                     Pedestrians and Runners at a halt on Commonwealth Avenue (mile 25.5)

 
Our area was relatively calm. It was just crowded. As I walked up the street toward Massachusetts Avenue, runners looked shocked, thirsty, cold, and tired. Some runners decided to rest on the sidewalk or steps of adjacent buildings. The scene became more crowded as more runners entered the area. (insert photo) These runners were most likely the ones who would have finished the marathon around 4:13 (four hours and 13 minutes and on). I believe the finish line clock read around 4:09 at the time of the first explosion.

While everyone slowly understood that two bombs went off, no one knew why this happened. Why? As the runners continued to approach the stopping point, a line of about six police SUVs made their way through the congested runners and sped down Commonwealth Avenue. I remembering seeing one ambulance speed down the other side of Commonwealth Avenue earlier, and it looked like the same ambulance made its way back down Commonwealth carrying someone inside.
A bomb squad wagon rolled through carrying some bomb professionals. Sirens were going off everywhere. I am convinced that if it weren't for the bravery and expertise of emergency medical personnel then more people would have died. The three closest hospitals are Children's, Brigham and Women's, and Beth Israel with Tufts Medical Center and Mass General being the next two in proximity.

Extreme seriousness.

What is normally a festive day and occasion was quickly turned into a war zone. The marathon will be forever changed. However, do not think that fewer people will run this race. More people may flock to run the Boston Marathon. Security will be different. Even the order of the day may be a little different. The spirit of the marathon will carry on the other hand.

#PeopleStrong,
Derek

Derek Arledge, CSCS            TEEM Performance Training            www.teempt.com

Why The Boston Marathon is Ideal

Like many people, I am upset that such a festive day was interrupted by a heinous crime. Also like many people, I thought two celebratory cannons went off commemorating Patriot's Day. We, at least, thought it was a pyrotechnic show. However, like many people, I was wrong about the show and the cannons.

In the modern sense...things got real!

Despite the unfortunate incident and the ensuing manhunt, while watching the race in-person I thought about why the Boston Marathon is ideal? Why do so many people want to run this race? Yes, Boston is a very historic city with zealous crowds and scenery. But, let us look at when it is run: mid-April. I have only lived in New England for almost seven full years. April, as I now understand, is a tad past winter and just shy of more rain and cool temperatures. However, the slight case exist that temperatures will fall in the sweltering 80's as it did for the 2012 Boston Marathon.

What does April give? Let's dissect it. If I were to train someone for a Marathon, I would prefer that they begin running at least 9 months ahead of time; twelve months if the person is completely new to training. Where does 9 months take us back to in terms of the Boston Marathon?:

July/August of the previous year: Heat. You are training in absolute heat. Your runs are shorter, but the humidity and the heat make you feel as though you ran 12 miles. Instead, you might have put in 5 miles.

September: More heat. However, the heat is starting to lower in temperature. Traffic picks up in the morning and evening as school begins. More runners congest your favorite trails and courses. As pre-school begins, there are so many strollers in your way.

October: OK. You know that by the end of this month people begin to break out the gloves, scarfs, and wool socks. Mornings see mildew on the grass. You can see your breath. Evening light diminishes, so your post-work run is partially dark. Morning runs? You might have to wake up at 5 o'clock to beat traffic, prepare for your mid-term exam and office presentation.

November: It's cold. You want to eat. Thanksgiving is around the corner, but you have to tame yourself. Sure, your metabolism is in full swing; and you could probably eat an entire farm animal. You still have to take in choice foods, which give you the most amount of energy and ability to metabolize fats at different rates. Mileage is definitely increasing.

December: It's colder. You are in the holiday party season. You eat a cookie, and it's metabolized immediately. You might be so busy that you have time to make a short run in the morning, and a longer run in the evening. Happy New Year!

January: OMG! The race is in 3.5 months. You're clocking in 10-milers and half-marathon distances like 10ks. How do you do it while running on frost, snow, and ice patches? Five months ago, you sweated by simply stepping outdoors. Now, it takes you a good 2 miles to sweat. Perhaps, your layers of clothing make you sweat a ton.

February: See January. Add some more miles. Add some layers. Snow day off? Yea right. Run in the street.

March: The weather is warming up. Layers begin to come off again. You cannot say, "I can't do this." You have never ran 18 miles in your life. You are so familiar with the foam roller and massage techniques that you could be a therapist.

April: Go time! Let's minute runs. Keep up the adrenaline. Get your game plan down packed. Enjoy the crowds. Now, it's Boston. So, is it going to rain, have high winds, have cool temperatures, see sweltering heat, or be a nice clear day?

Many season. Many changes. many feelings. Many thoughts. Many emotions. Focus and persevere.  After Monday's incident, running a marathon actually seems do-able. Fear will not stop the strong spirit.

Purpose and Development,
Derek

Derek Arledge, CSCS           TEEM Performance Training            www.teempt.com

Thursday, April 11, 2013

International Flavor

Look around your neighborhood, work area, or during your drive to run an errand on the weekends, and you will see plenty of people biking, running, walking, or playing a recreational sport. If you live near a lot of students, you can probably see this occurring everyday.

This is the United States.

Now, imagine everything you see that is humanly active around you and digest this short statistic...the United States does not even crack the top 20 in most healthiest countries. The top 20! Countries like Singapore, Italy, Cyprus, Switzerland, and even are neighbors from Canada, the only top 20 healthiest country on this side of the Atlantic Ocean, take leadership in this category. Does it mean that we are struggling? Yes. Well, plenty of people are struggling with their health and getting in adequate amounts of exercise and nutrition. I'm not going to sugar coat this topic by saying we are not struggling. Is their room to shake off the struggles? Yes. Does the majority of individuals who struggle shake off the exercise and nutrition dilemma? No. Are we trying to shake the struggle? Yes, by many means.

But, why can't we simply adopt what other countries are doing? For one, it is a culture and geographical difference. Some states do better than others. For example, Colorado is supposedly the healthiest or fittest state in the U.S. Whereas, Mississippi has not reached that prime health status yet. Is it a money issue? Perhaps. Is it an access issue? More likely. Wait, it's an access issue. It's an exercise and nutrition, among other characteristics, access issue. Access does deal with knowledge, experience, and money. But, as I have looked at the list of top 20 healthiest countries, I realized that the top 20 had many freedoms in exercise and nutrition as an entire culture:

Four of the countries are near the Mediterranean Sea, which is home to arguably the healthiest diet in the world. Many of the countries in the top 20 are home to cold climates. Those habitants have to move to stay warm. But, does everyone have to migrate to the most recognized sea or to frozen tundra? No. Really, it is all about the flavor you choose whether you are from the East coast, West coast, or the Gulf coast.

By the way, for the record...Bloomberg News was used to check out the top 20 list.

The bottom line: what makes you the health nut in your neighborhood, family, or at work? If it is nothing, would you be willing to become the protege and share your active wealth? If it is something, do you adopt any international flavors?

Purpose and Development,
Derek

Derek Arledge, CSCS           TEEM Performance Training            www.teempt.com

Exercise of the Week - April #1 2013

Hand Reach Outs

If you are not used to exercising, then it is recommended that you warm up first before doing this exercise. Do not rush into the exercise if you simply feel like it.

Step 1: Start in a push-up position, modified push-up position, or bird dog position.

Step 2: Reach out as far in front of you with your left arm, with your right arm/hand still firmly on the ground. Hold for 4 seconds. Reach out as far as you can to your left. Hold for 4 seconds. Reach to the right as far as you can. Hold for 4 seconds. underneath your body as far as you can. Hold for 4 seconds. Repeat the same thing with your right arm/hand.

Step 3: For really advanced individuals, you can perform a push-up in between each hold.

Targets: shoulder girdle stability, core strength

Derek Arledge, CSCS         TEEM Performance Training           www.teempt.com