Wednesday, April 18, 2007

40 Years...


Well, today is my 40th birthday. Although the past few weeks have been turbulent thinking about it, I feel just fine now that the magic day is here.

Wrinkles did not appear over night. Not any more at least.

There are no signs of memory loss. At least I can't remember any.

And I can still run with a smile on my face. It just takes me a little longer to recover.

Perhaps my fourth decade will be the best of all. There is no telling what the forties will bring. I am just glad it is here and I can stop worrying about turning forty and begin to enjoy BEING forty.

Life is good.

Jenny

Thursday, April 05, 2007

The 3-Week Rule

As a coach and a trainer I've always preached the 3-Week Rule. That is, it takes 21 days (3 weeks) to create a new habit, change a bad habit or progress to another level. I develop most of my running programs based on this rule and use it within my own training regimen as well.

Coming home from Antarctica three weeks ago was quite the challenge. It was not quite spring, the weather was still icky and I was feeling less than fit. 10 days on a ship + days in planes, trains and automobiles left me with a lower base of miles than I like. So, what is a girl to do? I took out my planner and circled April 4th on my calendar in bold red marker. It was exactly three weeks away.

Guess what? After 3 Weeks of regular running, strength training and flexibility (and a nice massage too) I feel like my old-new self again.

This time of year is challenging. Especially for those of us that may have been off the wagon in terms of activity. If this is the case for you, circle a day three weeks from now, vow to be active most days a week and wait. You too will feel better with the 3-Week Rule.

Happy Trails,

Coach Jenny