Get a Heart Rate Monitor

The Armour39 HR Monitor is currently the best deal
(at leastuntil Friday, October 31 2014)!

I was planning on posting this week about the importance of understanding your energy zones and why you would want to train in each zone for the different goals that you have. That planned changed when last week's blog post on finding your threshold and/or max heart rate generated a few questions regarding the best heart rate monitors for athletes. Here are a few of the suggestions I've been giving to my coaching clients who don't yet have heart rate monitors.

Weekly Schedule

Annual Halloween Party

This Friday is our annual Halloween party! There will be Bloody Mary's, Jello-o and any other treats that our riders bring along.

Remember, we're also starting to sign people up for the Race to Anyplace!

Tuesday -5:45am @ LA Fitness (I'm under the weather just a bit, there will likely be a sub at this class)
Wednesday -12:15pm @ the Rivers Club
Friday -5:45am @ LA Fitness Halloween Party!

Weekly Schedule

Ready for an awesome week, hope to catch you at a class! Don't forget, we're also starting to sign people up for the Race to Anyplace!

Tuesday -5:45am @ LA Fitness
Wednesday -12:15pm @ the Rivers Club
Friday -5:45am @ LA Fitness (Next Friday is the Halloween Party!)

Zone Testing with Heart Rate or Power

Knowing your zones can be one of the most important factors to creating and following a proper training plan. By understanding how your body reacts to the stresses of training, you can tailor your workouts to just the right intensity that you need to achieve your goals.

To determine your zones, you'll need to perform either a functional threshold test, or max heart rate test. As with any training program, you should consult with your physician before participating in one of these tests.

Weekly Schedule & Getting Ready to Race to Anyplace!

Yes, the rumors are true! We are beginning to recruit for our 2015 Race to Anyplace teams! Stay tuned for more info coming soon!

Here's the plan for this week!

Tuesday -5:45am @ LA Fitness
Wednesday -12:15pm @ the Rivers Club, Jess has this one & I'll be back next week!
Friday -5:45am @ LA Fitness

Also this week, keep your eye open for an article on how to find your threshold heart rate. We'll be working more with thresholds and energy zones in our upcoming classes!

Weekly Schedule & A Return to the Rivers Club!

I've said this before, and lied to you...but I mean it this week, it's a normal week! Also some exciting news for my friends at the Rivers Club, I'll be returning on Wednesdays for the foreseeable future (or until it starts to snow!).

Tuesday -LA Fitness @ 5:45 am
Wednesday -Rivers Club @ 12:15 pm
Friday -LA Fitness @ 5:45 am

Finding Balance...

Anyone who knows me would likely say that I'm the least qualified person to write a blog post on balance. I'm usually the guy getting wrapped up in anything that looks exciting, only to be bored a month later and looking for something new. While this approach has allowed me to complete an Ironman, share scotch with business executives on private jets, and even have a conversation with the Vice President of the United States, it can start to get exhausting!

Lately, I've been trying a new approach. Maybe it's due to our two year old, maybe it's my new job. I'm not quite sure, but as I've been trying to balance my work life, family life, and personal life, I've found myself a lot happier.

I'm still far from perfect, but here are a few tips that I've found helpful in my effort to become more mindful of my own  balance.

1. Don't Let One Area of Your Life Define You

I use to get so bent out of shape when I had to miss a workout or training day. Even if it was because my family wanted to spend time me.

"Don't they know I'm training for a marathon, how could they be so inconsiderate?" If I did cave and miss the workout I'd pout thinking, "this is so annoying, I should be training, not spending time with these people that love me!" So yes, basically I was an A-hole when it came to my training!

I'm not sure when this changed (my wife might argue that it still hasn't), but I realized I don't need to train every day. I don't need to race every week. I don't need to do these things 24/7 to prove I'm an active person. I swim, bike, run, and teach Spinning classes because I love doing it but at the end of the day that persona is only a small part of who I am. So, ego checked, if I miss a workout or run, or if my next marathon is 20 minutes slower because I didn't train as much -no big deal. I'm simply relax and enjoy the experiences I have everyday!

2. Live In The Moment

Extreme cliché I know, but it's true.

The best advice I ever received was from a college professor who said;

• Spend 10% of your time reflecting on the past. Don't dwell, but learn from it and appreciate where you came from.
• Spend 15% of your time in the future. Plans are important to know where you're heading but don't focus or stress on things that might never happen.
• Spend the other 75% of your time being presant. The excellent choices you make right now will lead to happiness in this moment and down the road.

3. Meditate

Yes, it sounds crazy! Maybe even hippie dippie, but its super easy and has real benefits. I decided to give it a try after listening to the two podcasts listed below.

Give it a try. Scientific research shows that undoubtably, meditation produces physiological changes in the pathways of the brain. 

Start with five minutes a day and you will be amazed at how you feel. I recommend the the app Buddhify2 because it's super simple to get started with.

Podcasts 


-RRP #97: Dan Harris – How A Panic Attack On National TV Led To Meditation As The Path To Happiness

-RRP #98: Evan Rock: How One Man Reimagined His Life, Went Off-Grid & Found His Zen

That's it, the three thing I'm focusing on to help bring balance to my life. I'll try to get another post up about how this all actually applies to my training, diet and life. 

For now, I hope you'll take one or two of these tips and apply them to you own practice of balance!

-k