May I FitFluence Your Day?

Hey everyone!  I apologize in advance for some of the recycled drawings, but this is (hopefully!) for some new readers :D

For my first assignment as a FitFluential ambassador, I have accepted the challenge to write a post!

Oh, but not just any post.  A post about why I'm a good fitness influence.

Are those crickets I hear?

Ok, I'm just kidding.  I know I've inspired one or two people. They tell me so in the comments.  Plus there's Ann Marie (you know, the one I keep blogging about lately).  She signed up for two triathlons with me after watching me finish my tri last summer.  I was able to motivate her to go to the pool, go to spin class and get a shiny new bike for our training rides!

Forget the fact that she was already totally in shape and an amazing runner :)

Oh!  Another person I was able to motivate was TriGuy!  He being naturally athletic, he has really enjoyed the competitiveness of training together.

Just (sorta) kidding :)

People sometimes want to know how I got involved in doing triathlons, and if they have known me longer than two years, that question is usually accompanied by this look:

This is likely due to the fact that I was never much of an athlete (i.e. I was always the last picked for teams that I never wanted to be on anyway, geez!)  However, my mid-30s seemed like the appropriate time to ignore my complete lack of training and fall prey to peer pressure by signing up for a triathlon! I was out of my mind.  I made this movie for my very first blog post to recreate the convincing conversation I had with my coworker. I'm the brown bear.

And now, as required by the FitFluential team, I bring you:

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS

MY SEVEN HEALTHY TIPS

If anyone is just getting started, or is thinking of getting started, these tips are for you* (but everyone else, I hope you'll keep reading anyway!):

1.  Start by getting all the gear.  You will be more motivated if you have the proper clothing and equipment.   Also, you won't look like a noob.

2.  Stretch.  Seriously.  Yes, it is boring.  But it is really important if you want to stay injury-free (take it from someone who has learned the hard way).  Join a yoga or Pilates class if that will help you stick with it.

3.  If you do get injured, don't ignore it (for the love of Todd).  If rest does not make the pain go away, seek professional help.

4.  Cross train.  This is important for several reasons.
A) You will give your muscles a break by not overexerting them from repetitive motion.
B) You will not burn out on one activity.
C) Each activity will be beneficial for the others.  In other words, swimming will help your back for biking, biking will help your legs for running, etc...

5.  Hydrate.  It just isn't a good idea to burn 5,000 calories in an hour or two with ne'er a drop to drink.

Water is fine, but if you want to drink your electrolytes and sodium, try out different sports drinks until you find the one that works and doesn't hurt your stomach. (Dilute it when you start out and add more gradually.)

Oh, and take small sips.

6.  Try an activity that challenges you.  That way you will focus on developing the skill rather than on dropping pounds or toning up.  You'll find that those changes will be a great side benefit to the confidence of doing something you never could before.

No wait, not that.

There we go.

7.  HAVE FUN!!  Honestly, there is no excuse for doing a workout you get nothing out of, to wind up looking like this:

when you can look like THIS(!):

RAWR.

Thanks SO MUCH to FitFluential for adding me to the team!  I am in awe of all the incredibly talented people who contribute to the group!

*You all know you should seek professional medical advice about exercise, right?  

EDIT:  I'm linking up with The Blog Entourage this weekend!  Come stalk some bloggers with me!

UPCOMING POSTS: DANSKIN 2011 RECAPS

I Ran in Chelan...Man.

Back to completing the Chelan Man triathlon.  If you happened to have missed them, (gasp!) feel free to check out the swim and the bike.

I managed to finish the bike and rerack, transitioning in record time!  I even remembered to take off my helmet :)  TriGuy was there with the camera and I remember shouting to him about my brick legs.

It probably took about 5 minutes to get rid of that feeling and then I had less than 3 miles to go.  I have to say that running is my favourite part of the race.  I think it's a combination of it being
A) the hardest to mess up since there's no equipment involved (and less coordination needed) and
B) the last thing before I'm done!

It was an out and back course so I saw Ann Marie as I was heading out and she was heading in.

The run was uneventful compared to the swim and bike.  I just kept running until I was done!  I crossed the finish, found TriGuy and Ann Marie, and sat down to enjoy some post-race snacks.

We capped off the race day by watching the Splash 'n Dash, the absolute highlight of the weekend!  It was a kids' mini-tri.  It included a 25 metre "swim", 3 bike laps around the parking lot, and a run to the finish.

I don't know if my favourite part was watching the parents carry their children through the shallow water,

or the 18 month old who had his own ideas about the bike course distance.

All I know for sure is that we already booked our room for next year!

UPCOMING POSTS:
TIPS FOR NEWBIES

DANSKIN 2011 RECAP (IN 3 POSTS)