This week is week #2 in my weekly core exercise series. 
Here is your next exercise - the stability ball sit up/crunch, as well as an extra video to answer some of your questions you have had about how often to do these exercises to see the best results.

Enjoy!

EXTRA TIPS VIDEO

Let me know if you have any questions by emailing or calling me at 949-940-0399.

Here’s to your health-filled transformational success!

When I started running over a decade ago, I used running as cross training for my college basketball and soccer careers.  I had no running coach or any running mentors to guide me.  I fell into a pattern of running hard and training all out 100% of the time.  I had no idea the importance of wearing proper shoes, cross training, giving my body time for rest or any of the smart ways to train.

Needless to say, it only took me a couple years of overtraining (training too hard for too long) that caused me to fall into four years of being injured, forcing me to back off running for a period of time. 

What does training hard look like?

For me, it included things such as:

• not having a running coach/mentor
• not cross training or exercising other muscles with non-impact strengthening exercises
• not having proper shoes
• not resting enough
• not having a training schedule designed for me and my goals
• not eating the effective nutrition to fuel my body
• not being proactive with preventative health methods (ie chiropractic care, massage)
• failing to create a yearlong plan for myself (a.k.a. planning to fail)

I had to give up dreams and goals that I had aspired for simply because I had become imbalanced in my running.  Due to my own belief in that old philosophy “No pain, no gain” and pushing myself for so long, I literally woke up every morning in pain due to my ineffective training choices and had to accept the fact that I could not train as I wanted to.

However, as in every season of adversity, there lied that opportunity for me to make some life changing discoveries that I still benefit from to this day.

I knew I had to find different ways to train and healthier philosophies to embrace.  I discovered that training “smart”  versus training “hard” was a much better way to lead my running/triathlon career.

What does training smart look like?

Training smart includes balanced approaches of training for my body and mind, such as:

• cross training 3-4 times per week
• have the proper shoes for your feet - get a runner’s gait analysis
• resting one day completely (NO EXERCISE other than walking)
• core strengthening exercises a minimum of 3 times per week (can include yoga/pilates type classes)
• listen to my body and stop serious training if the pain level in any part of my body is above a 5 on the pain scale of 0-10 (with zero being pain free and 10 being excruciating/debilitating pain)
• training using the heart rate monitor method of monitoring my heart rate and not going above the anaerobic threshhold more than once per week - staying in the proper zone for me at all times
• having a running coach or exercise mentor on some level at all times during training season (ie personal trainer, coach, class instructor)
• seeing a chiropractor and massage therapist regularly (weekly or monthly)
• setting goals for particular races throughout the year and committing myself to a training schedule that is realistic for where my body/mind are at at that time
• scheduling an off-season time during the year - whether it be two weeks or two months - where I give my brain and body a period of serious rest/time off
• eating proper nutrition

Keep in mind, this list of approaches took me nearly 10 years to complete (not to mention a few injuries along the way to help me learn these lessons).  And your list may look quite different.  My hope is that my list will inspire your list of training smart methods. 

The most important thing to remember is that running/training of any kind can be a life long journey only if you train smart.  Training, just as in life, is not meant to be hard - it is meant to be completed with wise choices that make the journey all worth while.

And that is what life is all about - the journey.

Recently, more often than usual, I have been asked the same question about running and injuries that people associate and blame on running.

I have heard this “myth”, as I will call it here, literally hundreds of times ever since I began my running career at age 18.  And it is simply not true.  I thought this was a good time as any to help shed some light on what I believe is the truth (some of you may argue and I would gladly discuss this with you further).

MYTH:  Running is bad for you because it causes injuries, mostly to the knees, hips and feet.

TRUTH:  Running can help your body, which was predisposed for this specific injury you now have, discover the aches and pains.  Running does not cause the injury.  It can help you create balance and better health in your life. 

Just as with any symptom of pain that shows up, your pain in the knee, hip, foot or anywhere else in your body, stems from your basic habits in your life since birth.   Any unattended trauma to your body, an unhealthy ongoing eathing lifestyle, poor posture due to computer work, etc., etc. can all aid and transform your once perfect baby’s body into a doctor’s dream patient!

Case in point for myself.  After running consistently for two years, I found myself injured for over four years with a severe case of plantar fasciitis in both feet (a very rare occurrence, as most people - runners and non-runners - usually only have it in one foot).

Plantar fasciitis is a painful inflammatory condition of the foot caused by excessive wear to the plantar fascia that supports the arches of the foot or by biomechanical faults that cause abnormal pronation of the foot (note that it did not say caused by running).

What I found, after seeing several physical therapists, having cortisone shots in my feet, getting orthodics especially made for my feet, sleeping with boots on my feet, getting weekly or monthly massages, going to yoga class 2-3 times per week (and the list goes on), the running I did actually helped me discover the real cause of my aches and pains.

Due to life events and over the course of time of walking on pavement, wearing shoes that weren’t proper for me, experiencing different traumas to my body over my entire lifetime, not going to a chiropractor regularly and keeping my body in alignment, etc., etc., my body was very, very dysfunctional and way out of whack.  Hence, causing the plantar fasciitis.  It would have happened in this lifetime no matter what I did - running or not. 

Thank God for running, otherwise, I would have never discovered the importance of a fully aligned body and would not have developed a solid core (mid-section), as well as gone to see my chiropractor regularly.  Those have been the keys to my success of having a strong body and a healthy/balanced running career.

Oh yeah, and I have not been injured since 2004, after I found my personal trainer who salvaged what was left of my healthy body and got me back on the roads running, biking and swimming again so I could complete my first Ironman Triathlon in 2005.  I also got rid of my orthodics within that same year.

So, the next time someone tells you that “running is bad for you”.  Just simply smile and tell them that the opposite is true.  In fact, it is what will save your life and lead you to many long years of balance, healthy and a functional/symmetrical body!

The key is to never give up and never go it alone.  Allow a coach, a trainer, a chiropractor or a massage therapist help show you the way to health.  You may even have to go to multiple resources until you find the perfect one for you, just as I did.  And that’s okay.  The long-term benefits of running far outweigh the short-term time you may get to rest and cross train.  If you have the desire to run, keep persevering until you find the true cure/cause of your pain.  Then running will always be there for you, no matter what.

And, if there is anything I can do, let me know!

Yours in Transformational Success,

Lois Tiedemann Koffi

949-940-0399

Here’s to your healthy running career!

8.  Transforms your mind.   Nothing cleans out the “cobwebs” as running does.  Cleaning that junk out of the trunk, so to speak, of the mind comes fluidly with every step, with every breath taken, on the running trail.  Shakespeare said it best, “Bid me run and I will strive with things impossible.”  So true.  I have run for over a decade and I can remember many runs were my main outlet for stress – in fact studies prove that the number one cure for stress is exercise.  Stress starts in the mind, as does nearly everything.  Running also boosts the confidence and self-esteem (see also reason #10 – a higher mindset and confidence level boosts the pocket book as well!).  Higher confidence and self-esteem within one’s self bodes well in all areas of life, not just financial.  Relationships are healthier, work is more productive and focused, time is managed more effectively and overall peace from within your entire body all just tips of the iceberg benefits of how running can transform your mind.

This is a weekly continuation of a 10-week series of the top 10 running transformation tips.

9.  Running transforms your body. After coaching thousands of runners/walkers, I have seen literally thousands of pounds shed off of the bodies of people who found running to be their number one source of cardiovascular activity.   Not only does it help in moving your body and causing sweat to flow and your heart to pump, over 80% of runners say that as a result of their regular running routine, they found themselves eating healthier diets (actually eating more healthy foods, period.) and drinking more water than ever before. They would cut out sweets and sugar regularly because they did not like the way they felt or performed in their workouts/runs. Not only that, another benefit was that they slept better and often even more hours per night due to the heightened activity and desire to get their rest.

Stay tuned to next week for Tip #8!

Have a transformational week!

Yours in Transformational Success,

Lois Tiedemann

949-940-0399

This week I am launching a 10-week series of how running can transform your life.   This series was inspired by my running club group and one of my favorite running coaches of all time, Bill Bowerman (of Nike fame and University of Oregon track coach in the 70s)
“Running, one might say, is an absurd past-time to be exhausting one’s self, however, if you can find meaning in the kind of running it takes to be on this team, perhaps you can find meaning in that other absurd past-time, called life.”
-Bill Bowerman

In honor of the high gas prices lately, I have realized that my love of riding a bike is now becoming a newfound love for many!  Be warned:  this article may give you some crazy ideas on how to save gas money!  AND much, much more!

With gas prices as they are today, and my own choosing of using my bike to run errands and get to places hither and yon, I was reminded of my own previous biking journey that started nearly a decade ago. - before high gas prices, yet for a very external and unexpected reason.

You see, I first rode bike regularly for commutes and getting places versus for exercise.  No joke.  I could commonly be heard saying, in my snottiest “runner” voice, “I’m a runner, NOT a biker!”  I seriously had a purist non-biker’s attitude. 

Cycling was for people like Lance Armstrong (who said it is not about the bike and, boy was he an inspiration for cycling) or for those hard core “roadies” who I had to dodge on my running routes from to time.  Whether it be running or mountain, I saw many a biker in my day.

Then, I became one of “them”.

It all started out so innocently…..then, like most obsessions, I was hooked.

Back in early 2000, when I was in my hey day as a competitive runner/racer, my car got mysteriously side swiped at my work’s parking lot one dark and wintry night in February.  No one ever came forward and shared who-dun-it, so the mystery still remains as to the “who”.  At the time, I was not too happy about the hit-and-run “accident”.  Now, I wish I could shake that person’s hand and thank them for changing my life.

You see, I didn’t get to drive my car for a week during that ever so cold winter in Minnesota.  While my car was being fixed and take care of, it was my trusty (and soon rusty) bike that got me to and from home, work and my workouts at the gym in the wind, the sleet, the snow, the freezing cold. 

In the middle of the day, I would don my scarf, mittens and layers of clothes and trekked the four miles one-way to my associate producer position for a local TV/Cable Satellite station.  I would then don those same clothes and head home in the dark of night after my evening shift.

What took place next, was transformational. 

From that point on, I never drove my car to work again.  In fact, I rarely used my car.  The only reason I did was to serve my real estate clients at the time.  I sold real estate part time and even then, rode my bike to the office many times to combine a workout and office work (this was pre-laptop wireless Internet, work from home days for Lois).  I was easily logging 50 miles per week and then some.

Before I knew it, I was training for century rides (a.k.a. 100-mile bikerides).  Then from there it was triathlons.  Then from there I was able to buy my first home (having saved all that gas money and mileage).  The day before I closed on my house, my loan-free car died a mysteriously painless and short death in my parking lot of my apartment building.  I was able to borrow a car to drive to my closing AND call the auto broker on the way (pre-hands free cell phone days) to order my brand new car (yes, with a loan) to be delivered post-house closing (would not have been able to buy house and car at same time).

From there, as they say, the rest is history.  I got to become a transformed triathlete.  I got to create lifelong relationships that remain to this day.  I got to coach triathletes and become and Ironman.
Yes, I experienced a few run-ins with cars, people and dogs along those many-a-traveled biking miles.  And yes, there were some rides that were more tiring than others.  However, I would not change a thing for the world.

My encouragement to you is to consider your own biking career during this time.  Exercise is the best stress reliever out there.  And, if you are like me, you just may be able to save money and create a transformational, success-filled life out of the humble beginnings of  habit that seemed so harmless at the beginning. 

Here’s to you hitting the road.  If you want any FREE advice, let me know.  I am full of that where cycling is concerned.

Enjoy the journey, you never know where that bike may take you.

I have heard it said that the Mexicans say that the Pacific Ocean has no memory.

Today of all days, I was counting on that one being true.

As I toed the start line of the Pacific before my first triathlon race in over a year, I recalled the last time I crossed the ocean that was fabled to have no memory.  
Instantly, memories surfaced to my conscious mind from somewhere deep within my subconscious of the last triathlon I did in another country in the Pacific, ironically also on an island not too far away from this Aloha state. 

I smiled to myself as I awaited the pre-start race Hawaiian blessing, to be given by a local Reverand Alalani Hill.  The last time I competed in a triathlon was March 3rd, 2007.  That race ended in an emergency room visit and marked the beginning of nearly a year’s worth of health transformation and renewal.  After that race, the emergency room and experiencing what it took to overcome all the stress and internal changes my body would grow through….there were moments where I didn’t know if I would even want to compete again, let alone be at full strength to compete.  I didn’t race again after that experience.

Yet, on Sunday, June 8th, I was back in fine form and ready to challenge my body to a race.  Don’t get me wrong, I was definitely feeling a bit anxious at the thought of competing again after my transformation and time away from the sport that had defined me over the past decade of my life.  I had even written a book about it.  How could I not compete in a triathlon again? 

Yet, if the Pacific Ocean didn’t remember my last finish and ER exit, who was I to live in the past?

This race was different.  This race was dedicated to the memory of my friend, Mikey, who had died from leukemia just over ten years ago.  He inspired me to compete the first time I ever raced in a road race as a 20-year-old.  His mom, Jan, had even made the trip from Iowa to support me and cheer me on.  She had not even flown or left Iowa since my fist marathon for leukemia back in 2000.  This was big, not just for me, but for her too.  She has struggled with alcoholism and depression since Mike’s passing and her own transformation was ongoing since his death.  Her own courage at being there alongside me on this trip was enough to bring me to tears as I listened to the Reverand share her words of love and inspiration/encouragement in her blessing.

I knew Mikey would be with me in Spirit as I made my comeback as a triathlete - fit not only in body, but also in mind and in Spirit.  I was beginning to feel like “Rocky Balboa” after he made his comeback to fight the Russian giant, Drago, in Rocky IV after Apollo Creed died.   I wasn’t here to prove myself so much as a triathlete, as I was competing and fundraising one more (and possibly last*) time for a cause that meant a lot to me in my life’s journey.  (*AUTHOR’S NOTE:  Even Rocky didn’t stop after Rocky IV…..so time will tell if my fundraising days are over, eh?)

The race was centered around the Maui Prince Resort, in Makena, Maui.

The course consisted of a 1.5k single loop ocean swim, a two loop 40k  bike ride and a two loop 10k road run.

Promptly at 7 a.m. local Reverand Alalani Hill began her blessing.  Wow.  What a difference a Hawaiian blessing could make on one’s race prep and mindset.  I walked on the white beach with the thought of just racing for fun and focusing on the reason for being there.  Reverand Hill inspired me to experience more than that.

She reminded us of all the triathletes that had gone before us and how the ocean, the lava rocks, the wind, the trees and the environment was there for them, it would be there for us that day, and it would be there for many generations after.  She inspired us to respect Mother Nature and see the ocean as Her blood and to see the earth and lava as part of the Earth that was set there for us now and how we were running in the footsteps of many others that had gone on that same trail - the King’s Trail. 

She helped us focus on each moment of each swim stroke, of each breath, of each bike pedal, of each step on the lava rock ground that stretched beneath our feet….to embrace every moment, every ocean view, to honor and respect our teammates, our fellow triathletes -
and not focus on what was to come. 

This is somewhat foreign to a competitive athlete such as myself…always analyzing the next move, the next transition, the next discipline to plough through to get to that finish line.  It is born within me to count every second, because, as a competitor, every second counts in the end.  It means the difference between finishing first or finishing second or third or last.  Not thinking ahead meant not to analyze the “what if’s” of racing.  Anything was possible on this course.  One could have a flat tire, or five (as one of my teammates did).  The Hawaiian heat and humidity was not going to escape us that morning and leave for important hydration and nutrition/fuel needs along the way.  There were cut off times to beat and hills to climb.  Bathroom stops and unforeseen road rash that one could experience from falls.  Lots for the mind to take in.

Reverand Hill closed her blessing in reminding us about the Aloha Spirit, the Aloha Way of Life, which I had never been educated on.  When she told me that it meant, “The joyful sharing of life energy in the present” or simply “Joyfully sharing life” in mind, body and Spirit, I got goosebumps.  Indirectly, that was exactly the lesson I had learned in the past few years in building my new business, moving to California, in training for this triathlon and overcoming my health/stress/mental obstacles along the way. 
It is now part of what I teach people in my classes, what I coach my clients to experience every day….I just didn’t know it could be called “Aloha”. 

As the Reverand finished and we were told to take our places in our different waves (swimmers who would start at separate times according to our ages and genders), I felt a renewed sense of hope and whole new outlook.  I was reminded to be in the moment and enjoy the simple joy of being in the present and having fun with my fellow triathletes.  We weren’t competing against one another.  We were simply fellow travelers in this space and time, headed toward the same finish, most of us having raised money for the same cause (over half the racers were with Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training program).

I ended up having the most perfect race ever.  The swim was exhilarating and I finished the .9 mile distance in 35 minutes (not too shabby considering swimming was my least trained component and I experienced an anxiety attack in my last triathlon).  I did exactly what Hill had told us to do and took in every breath of the swim with ease and honored the water as more than just water, but the blood and Spirit of Mother Nature.  It was refreshing to experience the warm water temperatures and go without a wetsuit.

On the bike I felt strong the entire time and was able to feel the energy continue to increase with every pedal stroke - even up “Heartbreak Hill” - the only major hill climb we had the opportunity to go up twice due to the two loops.  Fortunately, living on the coast of California, there is no lack for training up hills just like this one and I had little to no problem mentally or physically to crest the hill with gas left in the tank both times.  I crossed into that second transtion into the run after completing the 24.8 mile bike leg in 1 hour and 29 minutes (a 16.7 mph average on a rolling hills course).

I often say the run is where the race beings for me.  I usually get passed on the swim and then make up a lot of time on the bike, but the run is where my own passing of others begins.  Today, however, in the Spirit of Aloha, I didn’t even think about that.  I listened to my body and walked when the heat and growing humidity was taking its toll.  Hydration was key and the rolling hills were consistent enough that walking at times was greatly welcomed.  I finished the run leg in 57 minutes (merely a 9:14 per mile pace).

As I finished and collapsed on the grass next to Jan, I smiled with sheer joy and elation flooded through my body.  “Run for Mikey” was the sign Jan had created the night before at our pre-race Leukemia pasta team dinner.  She had been out there just as early as we athletes had been to support and encourage the athletes.  I did race for Mikey, Jan and all the others impacted by the disease.  Most of all, for the first time, I truly can say I raced “Aloha” style and will never forget this experience.

And as an added bonus, I found out that my 3 hour and 7 minute, 32 second finish time, was good enough to be honored as the first place finisher of 42 women in my age division of 30-34. 

The moral of the story?  I think I have officially adopted the Aloha lifestyle as my way of training and living life!  I didn’t expect to win first place in my race.  I just went out and stayed with the inspiration Reverand Hill shared - to experience the moment in my mind, in my body and in my Spirit.  Do my best and trust God with the rest.  Don’t live in the past or in the future.  The bonuses from there are the fruit of aloha.  That’s all I could ever ask for.  That’s the best I could wish for you, my friends, my family and everyone in our World. 

Aloha!

As shared to my runners this week before their 5K race and my very own triathlon race I will be partaking in this weekend.  This formula applies to wealth because it is a gentle reminder for you to remember to remember it is not what lies ahead or behind that makes you rich/wealthy.  It is what lies within us all that builds our bank accounts and our riches above and beyond the bank - the riches of our hearts.

One of my favorite things to think about, especially on race week, is the magical formula I know that it takes for me to finish that race and create success for myself - not just in that race, but also in all areas of life.  This is a great metaphor for any challenge you be facing.

No matter what the distance, no matter what type of race, or life’s challenges, it is all the same.

It takes three things to experience victory.

Mind + Body + Spirit

You start the race with your mind full of possibilities, positive energy, excitement and certain expectations of what the finish will look like.

Once you start experiencing the race and you are in the flow, then your body takes over.  You trained well for the race (or maybe not as well as you would have liked) and you have begun the journey on the course.  You started with your mind and your body is now in the flow.  The strength flowing through you propels you onward.  The endorphins have kicked in and are aiding the mind in pursuing that ultimate finish.

Then, the turning point comes when both your mind and your body feel the first, second or third moments of pain.  You maybe hit the proverbial wall and you don’t know if you can keep going.  In fact, you may stop to walk and actually say to yourself either out loud or in your head, “What the heck was I thinking?”

Yet, in your heart, you know there is no turning back.  There is no quitting.  That is because the third, and final, part of your Being gets to kick in and take over.  That is your Spirit!  Your heart overrides your mind and your body’s pain.  You get to dig deep and remind yourself why you are out there in the first place.  Nothing is going to stop that, as long as you fuel that Spirit and believe in yourself.  Everyone/everything around you disappears in that moment.  This is the true runner’s high.  You may even pick up the pace at this point - possibly not even consciously, but on auto-pilot.  The end is near, pulling you forward.

Then you cross that finish line.  You have run the race, fought the fight, kept the faith.  There is nothing better than that feeling.

Until, of course, you finish the next one.  However, cherish these present finish-line moments.  Celebrate with your team.  Relish the victory of competing against your own demons and coming out on the other side the winner of your own race in life.