91-Year-Old Finishes San Diego Marathon  Harriette Thompson ran 7:07 

 A new age-group best! 

    I woke up this morning with my muscles sore and my joints telling me that I may be getting a bit older for this type of impact sport  that of distance walking and running.  However, I woke up this morning, read the above, and felt mentally refreshed and motivated to start the day.  It is reassuring I can still enjoy the running movement despite over 45 years of non-stop pitter patter on my feet and legs.  Aging and the physiological results to our bodies can be complex, confusing, and in many cases discouraging.   A better understanding and appreciation of running or walking can be had if we focus on the main aspects of what happens to our cardiovascular health and muscular development.  With that mind, we can implement strategies to help “stay on the move” as we get chronologically older in age. This article will include untrained men, women, distance walkers, joggers, and competitive runners. 

 There is little question that the lifestyle of a runner and distance walker is a healthy choice to reduce stress, keep weight in check, a way to lower blood pressure and keep a healthy strong heart.  Google benefits of running or brisk walking and you can come up with at least 25 more reasons.  However there are continual impact injuries which contradict many of those benefits and challenge the great innovations the running shoe industry has made, and the countless articles relating to proper running form.  There are however, common concerns which are occurring among the growing number of walk to run participants regarding proper form.  

        Click here for the lesson 3

What is the most important ingredient in starting a fitness program?

It all starts with Personal Commitment- the ability to see your goal through.  

   What is the most important ingredient in starting a fitness program?

             It all starts with Personal Commitment
                 The ability to see your goal through. 

Beginning in the sixties a woman who pursued fitness had to make a commitment to herself in most cases.  Men had coaches then, and for the most part belonged in teams which kept them in their sport for a long time. Currently for women especially, there are other types of commitments;  each with several advantages of keeping oneself in the fitness game for a lifetime.  In order of occurrence, below are the levels of making a commitment.

       Mental/Physical Strategies to Finish on Time

Rules of the game:
1.  All players will allow themselves to go up to 10 of these maladies before you call your time goal off.
2.  All players must have a time goal.
3.  All players have trained commiserate with distance and time goal.
4.  All players are following the pre-marathon preparation.
Disclaimers:  game is not valid if the following conditions occur:  Red flag warm temperatures, pre-existing injury, oversleeping 

       Becoming a long distance walker and/or runner definitely includes knowing ways to enjoy that movement for your lifetime.   The information below is the result of what I have learned while training hundreds of walkers and runners plus my own running experience of over 45 years.  Let’s explore why we get injured and then how to prevent injuries from occurring.

“All that we achieve and all that we fail to achieve is the direct result                     of our own thoughts.” James Allen


    Develop your goal visually, learn to mentally see yourself achieve, and then physically implement.  As I write this article I am reminded of never having any athletic talent, nor ever dreamed I would be jumping out of an airplane and competing in acrobatics.  I had to develop mental control of my thoughts, so actions could be had, and goals could be met.  Learning to control my thoughts is largely how I was able to reach creative, yet challenging goals such as:  competing in aerial acrobatics, completion of 94 marathons including 12 Boston marathons,  and being a teacher for over 26 years-need I say more!