Give a KIND word.  You will feel kind and receive kind words.

Give APPRECIATION.  You will appreciate and be appreciated

Give honor, credit, and applause.  You will be honored and receive credit & applause.

Give TIME for a worthy cause – you will be worthy, and richly rewarded.

Give HOPE – you will have hope and be made hopeful

Give HAPPINESS – you will be happy and be encouraged

Give CHEER – the verbal sunshine- you will be cheerful

Give a PLEASANT response – you will be pleasant and receive pleasant responses

**Found this list in my “harmony” notebook.  Feel free to add to this list by leaving a comment below.  Thanks and Happy Labor Day Weekend.

My email gets flooded with all sorts of weight loss products.  It drives me nuts!  A TON of products that claim you will lose 10lbs in one week.  Just the other day I received an email with the subject line “Fit in your high school jeans by tomorrow”  Ridiculous.  Do they think I’m that stupid.

By the way, I don’t want to fit in to my high school acid wash jeans anyway, but thanks!

Actually, a lot of people are stupid enough to “buy in’ to this crap.  Well, I don’t think they are stupid.  They are looking for a quick fix.  Isn’t that society these days.  Make something happen overnight, right?  I mean, who doesn’t want results by tomorrow.

However, when it comes to your health and living a better life, its a matter of making good choices a habit.  Going on and off again on a diet is the worst thing you can do.  It is a zillion times better to eat well 75-90% of the time and allow yourself a cheat day once per week.

My friend and nutrition expert, Joe Kaspar of fire your diet put together the following list and it’s the best thing I’ve seen and read.

TOP 10 REASONS TO FIRE YOUR DIET:

1) Diets make you FAT!

2) Diets have been proven to cause health problems!

3) Diets cause mood swings and misery ( i can relate to the mood swings)

4) Diets give you a false sense of health security

5) Diets are a temporary relief of a permanent problem

6) Diets drain you of your physical energy

7) Diets deprive you of needed nutrients

Diets make your hormones go haywire

9) Diets are a band-aid, never a solution

10) Diets destroy your self-esteem

One of the most important health and fat burning tips:

-eat breakfast everyday.  Start your day with fresh fruit, oatmeal, or eggs.  Accompany that morning cup of coffee with water.

Your body needs real foods!

Change your life by changing your mentality towards health, nutrition and wellness. Stop dieting, start eating and start seeing the results that you want…for the long term!

Can you add to the list above from your dieting experiences?  Something I would add: “diets set you up for failure”

leave your comment below.  thanks and Happy Tuesday Everyone!

There are many causes of knee pain and it can be prevented mostly by strengthening the leg and hip muscles.  Actually, one of the biggest causes of knee pain is due to a muscle imbalance.  It is very, very common for most runners to have very strong hamstrings and weak quads.

This imbalance can lead to pulling and tugging on the knee joint, therefore, causing pain.  Most commonly called Runners Knee.

Runners Knee is a result of a muscular imbalance in the legs and feet. It is not related to the structures surrounding the knee cap. The knee caps need to move up and down in a smooth motion to insure a balanced running stride. When the muscles in the feet and legs are imbalanced the knees go off track causing the cartridge to grind away at the knee cap.

Weak quadriceps are usually caused by the very strong hamstrings overpowering them. This causes the knee cap to be imbalanced as the weaker quadriceps are unable to support the knee cap and prevent twisting and pulling of the knee cap.

Foot imbalance (over pronation) can also lead to your knee cap being imbalanced and thus producing knee pain. Sometimes this condition can be aggravated by a sudden increase in mileage, speed and running on uneven surfaces.

The location of the knee pain can help determine what muscles are weak and causing the problem.

For instance:

Pain in or behind knee going uphill = Hamstring problem

Pain on outside of knee = Illiotibial band problem

Pain below knee= Tracking disorder/Patella tendonitis

Pain above Knee= Tight Quads

A lot of knee problems can be solved and prevented with leg strength exercises. More specifically, isometric exercises such as a wall sit.  In fact, the “running injury free” page here on my blog has 3 videos you might find helpful.  Click here and check ‘em out.

if you are suffering from knee pain it is best to see a physical therapist or sports therapist who can prescribe a program to get you back to running.  I know many doctors and therapists like to say running is bad for you or they might tell you to stop running, but I don’t think that is true.  You can start and continue running with smart training which includes a strength training program.

just my two cents.  I’ve enjoyed running most of my life and only suffered one injury (which was due to over-training).  Today, I believe I am a successful runner because my body and muscles are stronger, I cross-train, and I typically do not run more than 4 days per week.

Basically, you just gotta know your body and know your limits.  If and when you start to feel the littlest bit of a nagging pain be sure not to ignore it. This can save you in the end!

Be sure to watch my knee strength video.  These are good exercises every runner should do on a regular basis and the exercises require no equipment and can be done at home.    15 minutes a few days per week will make a huge difference.  Go do it

I love this quote because it reminds me we are all human and we all mess up every now and then.  Or, like me, we sometimes trip and fall while out running   I thought I would give you a good chuckle today by sharing one on my embarrassing stories.

NOTE: feel free to make me smile and laugh today by sharing one of your embarrassing running stories in the comments below

Yes, that was me a few years ago. I fell while on a run.  And, it left quite a scar.

It was early Fall 2007 and I on a 16 mile training run in preparation for the New York Marathon. It was early and I was running on a dirt trail in a nearby park. Enjoying the scenery, minding my own business, thinking about the upcoming marathon, and BAM! I totally caught my foot on an exposed tree root and fell all the way to the ground.

In fact, I didn’t just fall, I freakin’ slide across the ground like a baseball player and even left behind some awesome skid marks. No exaggeration here.

Somehow I landed directly on my knee and suffered a big gash. Blood dripping down my leg and I’m in total pain. However, I was so totally embarrassed so I stood up and tried to take off running again like nothing ever happened.

I made it only for a few yards then I stopped. I was so pissed at myself and really angry. I felt so stupid.

I decided to look back at the “scene of the crime” and this is when I bursted out loud laughing at myself. Really, its all I could do but laugh at what had just occurred. I mean, we’re all human and we all do silly things, right? I could see exactly where I had fallen because I had made some nice, deep skid marks in the dirt. I was laughing even harder imaging what I must have looked like on the fall.

I probably looked something like this:

So, now I’m left with a permanent scar. I like to call it my “battle wound” I probably needed stitches but I didn’t want to bother going to the ER. Probably not the best decision, but, oh well.

If you look closely at the photo you can see the scar on the outside of my knee.  It’s kinda in the shape of a half moon.  Ok, hope I made you smile a little with this story. Just a reminder to not take yourself and life too seriously!

You most likely are developing or already have developed Plantar Fascitis.

One of the most common foot injuries in runners is Plantar Fascitis. If you experience pain in your heel or bottom of your foot with walking, prolonged standing, or when first getting out of bed in the morning, you may be suffering from plantar fascitis.

There are a number of muscles located on the bottom of the foot. The vast majority of these muscles attach into the bottom of the heel. Located just under the skin and over the top of the foot muscles is the “plantar fascia”

This is a very tough and dense connective tissue that runs from the bottom of the heel all the way to the toes. The fascia works to support the arch of the foot and helps to stabilize the joints of the foot when bearing weight.

As we stand, walk, and run we place a tremendous amount of pressure on the foot. This creates a tension on the plantar fascia causing muscles of the foot to contract to help support the arch and stabilize the joints of the foot.

Over time the muscles and the fascia will become strained and fatigued, and can develop small amounts of injury known as micro-trauma. This is where the injury can lead into something more serious if you do not tune in to any sign of pain.

The initial micro-trauma is usually not painful. You probably feel a mild ache or tightness in the heel area. THIS IS THE CRUCIAL TIME WHEN THE DAMAGE NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED.

The biggest prevention to further injury is addressing the first sign of pain.

So, when you start feeling any kind of pain or discomfort in your heel area do something about it. Do not ignore the pain or it will lead to more injury.

What to do?  Stretch, Strengthen, and Massage the bottom of your foot.  I show you in this video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Something I forgot to mention in the video is you can use a frozen water bottle to massage the bottom of your foot. This way you have the coldness to help keep swelling down.

You can avoid this problem in the first place by:

1) Buying a good pair of running shoes

2) Stretch regularly, especially the calf muscles

3) Strengthen your feet.

If anyone reading this has dealt with this injury and would like to add something that worked for you, please leave a comment below.

thanks.  Happy Wednesday Everyone.

I have a request: leave a comment here with your running goal. It does not have to be specific to the marathon or a time. I told you mine and now I want to hear yours.

Thank you everyone for your inspiration and input on my marathon goal. As you can see, I decided to go with 3:17. Originally, (before asking you all) my goal was 3:20, but then I was thinking wouldn’t it be great to get in the teens, so how about 3:19:59. But, after all the encouragement and confidence you all gave me, I decided to go with 3:17. That would be a 9 minute PR, so I think this is a good, reachable, and challenging goal.

I’m super anxious but very excited. I’m someone who always loves a challenge and like I said before, I KNOW I can run the 26.2 miles so how about putting a time challenge on myself. And, that I did. I’m looking forward to training hard and seeing what happens on 10-10-10.

How about you? What are your goals? Are you running your first marathon?

If you are running your first, I’d suggest you set your goal to finish the race. Unless you are an experienced runner, I think it is best to experience what the marathon is all about and not worry about what the clock reads when you cross the finish line.

Certainly, crossing the marathon finish line is very satisfying, even if your body is complaining all over! Your first thought might be, I’m not doing that again. But by the next day you’ll be thinking, if I’d only had a slightly better second half I would have been well under my marathon goal.

Even if you do have a goal time in mind for your next race, be sure to have a Plan B. You never know what can happen on race day, so prepare yourself to another plan if you have to. The weather , your stomach, aches, and pains are all factors you have no control over. If something unusual comes up, be ready to re adjust your goal.

I recommend you write your goal on a piece of paper of 3×5 card and keep it in a place where you will see it often throughout the day. This is powerful. The process of physically seeing your goals helps crystallize them in your mind. This process also better enables you to commit to them.

Interesting Fact: A popular Harvard Business School study once found that only 3% of the population records their goals in writing. Another 14% have goals but don’t write them down, whereas 83% do not even have clearly defined goals. More interesting is that this 3% earned an astounding ten times that of the 83% group.

Perhaps you want to consider what I did and change your facebook profile picture to the one like I did. I used the photo above as my profile pic on my run with Jill fanpage. Let me tell you it took a lot of nerve for me to do this, but now that I communicated my goal with all of you, I’m way more motivated and determined to reach my goal.

In the end, goals provide direction, long-term vision and short-term motivation. They separate the important from the irrelevant. Goals also build self-confidence by helping you grow as an individual.

Take a minute now to write down your goal here in the comment section and TELL ME!

Click here to view the embedded video.

I will reveal my goal on Monday.  Stay Tuned. 

“Listen to your dreams—those are the sounds no one else can hear”  -Kobi Yamada

“Ruthlessly compete with your own best self” -Apollo 13 Engineers

“Doubt whom you will, but never yourself” -christine Bovee

Someone already asked if I’ll do another.  Right now, I say NO and my legs agree!  Ask me again in two weeks tho

The RESULTS:

Swim (1.2miles): 35:11

Bike (56 miles): 3:18:07

Run (13.1): 1:42:59

Total Race Time: 5:40:34 (the longest I have ever raced)!

I hate to admit this, but I actually kind of enjoyed the race.  Or, maybe I’m just saying that now that I’m home, showered, and relaxing with some good food and beverage.

It definitely was a challenge, especially because of the heat and the rolling hills course.  The other awesome part was all the pro and incredible triathletes racing this race.  This race is a qualifier for other tri races, so it was cool to see the fast and furious out there on the course.

Here is the breakdown of the race:

The Swim: It never fails for me to get so ANXIOUS for the swim. I was in wave #7 so it was a lot of time standing around, but before I knew it my turn was up.  This swim start was new to me.  We started at the end of a dock in deep water.  In fact, my entire wave had to be in the water for 3 minutes before the start.  I suppose treading water this long is a good warm-up.

The swim was exactly what I expected.  Lots of swimmers all gathered in the same area and all trying to swim the same line.  I did my thing and started on the outside so i could avoid all the mess.  And, i did.  I do have one funny story though.  After I hit the turn around and swam for what I thought was a long time and figured I must be close to the water exit I noticed how shallow the water was.  So, I thought “yay” I’m close to the finish.  I looked up to spot the water exit and there I was so off course I was by the shoreline and a good 30 yards from the buoy line.  Whoops!

Good swim overall.  I was happy to be out of the water and ready to ride.

The Bike Biking is not my strongest leg of the triathlon and I know that, so I don’t have high expectations for myself on the bike leg.  I did not do a training ride on this course, so I didn’t know what to expect, although I was forewarned this course was hilly.

I did the best I could and tried hard not to worry about being passed by many people.  I knew I could get some of them on the run   Some of the hills were so steep and long that I stood up on my bike (never done that in any race ever).

On the flip side, the downhills were just as steep and bikes were flying.  I was going so fast I actually got nervous.  But, it was awesome because I went fast enough to coast up the next smaller hill without any pedaling on my part.  That was awesome.

the bike was two loops.  It was nice to know what to expect on the second loop.  I was doing ok and feeling like I was working hard, but I was getting really ticked at ALL the people passing me.  I do not have a tri bike, in fact not even a great road bike, so I kinda have an excuse.  Anyhow, I had to tell myself to quit worrying about it and focus on ME (I’m too competitive, so even though I say that, its hard for me to do)

I enjoyed the bike, but it does take a long time to ride 56 miles.  I was so ready to be off the bike by mile 40.  As we got closer to the finish I could feel myself picking up the pace.  I passed mile 51, shifted gears and my damn chain fell off!  Not a big deal.  I fixed it in a quick minute.  But it was annoying and nerve-racking.

thank goodness I had no tire blow!  I rode in the last 3 miles with all my effort.  I was sooooo looking forward to the run as that is my strongest.

The Run I was so happy to finally be running.  As soon as I got out of the transition area to begin my run I said to myself “It’s GO TIME” As i said, running is my strongest and this is not the case for many triathletes (at least in my experience). I was so looking forward to hitting the pavement.  Besides, I had some bikers to catch.

I hit the pavement and started running and actually felt good. It took until mile 3 until my legs felt normal from the bike to run transition.  The run was hot, hot, hot!!!!  Thank goodness for the volunteers and kids who sprayed us with water.

I was passing others and feeling strong.   The run course was fairly flat until mile 4. BAM!  Here’s a nice hill.  ughh, it was awful and especially at this point in the race.  Most were walking it.  Oh, and double bonus is we get to do it twice as the run course is two loops.  I put my head down and ran up that sucker as best I could.

Loop #2.  Still going strong but definitely feeling the effects of dehydration.  I decided for this loop I would stop and walk through all the water stations, and I did.  Lots of water and gatorade.  I even had some cola and that tasted great!

I was in the last two miles and the finish area could be seen.  I just kept looking in that direction and telling myself you only have to get there!  Plus, I could hear the announcer’s voice get louder and louder so I knew I was getting closer. As soon as the finish line was visible, I hit all gears and took it home.

Thank Goodness this is OVER!  I’m happy I did this race and it definitely was a challenge.  But, what I love about doing this type of stuff is how much I grow from it.  Every race I learn new lessons and I learn more about myself.  Guess this is why I do it!

However, I love this feeling because this is what helps us grow.  Think about it…..when was the last time you did something for the first time?  I believe this is why I’m nervous.  It has been a long time since I’ve done a “first” race.

I know I can and will finish this race.  So, why should I be nervous.  For starters, this is why….

the SWIM.

I’m a decent swimmer, so its not the distance of swimming 1.2 miles that bothers me, its the fighting, kicking, pulling, and trying to avoid drowning during the swim. Ok, so drowning might be a bit of an exaggeration, but I had one experience during the swim where someone actually grabbed my ankle to pull themself forward.  It freaked me out and pissed me off.  Really?

Therefore, I get super anxious before and during the swim.  I now move myself towards the outside to avoid the “swim bomb” that occurs when the race begins.  I don’t care if it means I swim farther because it is way more enjoyable not to be involved in the craziness.

For me, the triathlon race actually begins as soon as I exit the water.  At this point, I’m usually so relieved to be out of the water and into the air where I can breathe and have more space.  I get into my groove on the bike and look forward to the run.

Anyhow, I was trying to remember why and when I decided to sign up for this 70.3.  Back in June, I had no plans to do this race.  I do remember why and I have two reasons:

1) I hang out with very competitive, over-achieving, and fit people.  I have three friends doing this race and they were encouraging me to join them.  I originally said no, but then was feeling left out, so I decided to join in.  Certainly not the kind of peer pressure I remember in high school?!

2) I was reading a book called “feel the fear and do it anyway”   I remember a specific quote that finally made me realize I had not yet signed up for this race because of FEAR.  Reading the quote made me realize the only way to grow is to face the fear.

the quote: “The only way to get rid of the fear of doing something is to go out and do it”

Pretty straight forward and simple.

So, there you have it.  That’s what brought me to this race.  I’m looking forward to the challenge and hope to have a good race report for you all on Sunday evening.  Happy Weekend!

jill