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August 30 Inspiring QuoteAs you go about your day today, putting off your training, thinking of skipping the gym or that important workout, read this:
Man in the Arena
By: President Theodore Roosevelt “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” August 23 Rocking the RoctaneAs it should, my daughter's 18th birthday today takes precedence over me racing the Springmaid Splash. However, I obtained permission to do a 45 mile group ride at the Morrison Metric. Great opportunity for me to try out Gu Roctane (http://www.GuSports.com). What an awesome fuel source!!! August 17 Off-road Tri ClinicHad a BLAST racing XTERRA Charlottesville today. Too tired to write about it. Will blog about it tomorrow. In the meantime, check out a pic from Thursday's Off-road Triathlon Clinic at REI. Lots of great questions from newcomers to the off-road triathlon world. It was a pleasure meeting you all and look forward to seeing you at the race!  August 11 XTERRA Panther CreekShort, quick race report (lengthy one on the way).
Decent 800 Meter Swim. 2 mins slower than I had wanted, but running aground on the back stretch messed with my mojo.
Super smooth transition onto the bike
Back tire went flat at about mile 3 of the 16.6 mile mountain bike. That was extremely frustrating. About 8 people passed me, but they all offered their assistance. After the flat, I rode as fast and as hard as I could to catch back up. So much so I crashed 4 times. I ended up catching just about everyone that passed me.
Transition from bike to run didn't go quite as smooth, as I had to shed the flat tube that I had wrapped around my neck. It threw my routine off. Amazing how one small thing like that can get you in a tizzy.
I caught the remainder that passed me during my flat on the run leg, and then some. However, I still couldn't completely make up for the flat. Guess I couldn't pull it off like Conrad did in Alabama. :-)
Finished 5th in my division and 15th overall. Not bad for having a flat tire in during the race.
To make up for it all, I won a free XTERRA wetsuit in the post-race activities.
The course was awesome, very well taken care of and marked well. Only once did I question my whereabouts (running along the soccer fields could have used a couple of arrows on the ground or something).
BIG congrats goes out to Scott Mills for not only winning my division, but the overall winner of the race as well!
July 27 24 Hours of Booty CompleteMiles ridden = 204.93 More info to come. July 26 Good Morning from BootvilleI rode 100 miles overnight, finishing up about 5:30 am. I've been lounging around resting up for today, but not really sleeping. I'd love to get another 100 in today, but the weather my not cooperate. It rained a little around 4am, and it looks like more rain today. There are the telltale sounds of thunder. So far, it has been an awesome event! All of th staff and volunteers have truly outdone themselves. http://www.24HoursofBooty.org -M July 22 Final Push to Fight CancerEveryone that knows me, also knows that I do a large charitable event every year. For the past 4 years, it has been in support of the National Multiple Sclerosis society. This is mainly due to the fact that my wife was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2002. However, this year, we both decided to take a step back and a break from the MS events. This year, I am participating in the 24 Hours of Booty. This weekend is the 24 Hours of Booty ride. It starts at 7pm on Friday and goes 24 hours to 7pm on Saturday. This is a really, really good charity event in support of the Lance Armstrong Foundation. As just about everyone knows, the Lance Armstrong Foundation unites people to fight cancer believing that unity is strength, knowledge is power and attitude is everything. Will you help? Can you contribute? Any amount, big or small helps. M.
July 07 Race Report: Xterra Southeast ChampionshipSorry it took me three weeks to get this out, but with vacation, business travel, training for my next race, and writing my end-of-year review, I just haven’t had time.
June 8, 2008
1500 meter swim, 18 mile grueling mountain bike, 6 mile grueling trail run Official result: 12th in my age group (horrible)
Official time: 3:11:10 Synopsis: There were so many things that went wrong in this race, 98% of them within my control. This means there were plenty of “learning opportunities” for me to improve my performance, race logistics, etc. I’ll chalk up this entire race as an opportunity for me to improve. The only thing I couldn’t control was the heat. The race started at 9:30 am and I finished right around 12:30. Check out this info from AccuWeather from race day’s actual measurements:
I would have to completely concur with a quote from 3x Xterra World Champion: “I woke up not feeling great, couldn’t regulate in the heat, went nuclear early and I was going to be dead on the side of the trail if I didn’t stop and walk.” – Melanie McQuaid.
Due to family commitments on Saturday, we departed for a 6 hour drive the day before the race (problem number 1). It was a very, very important family event, so it was a must that we stuck around town. We arrived in Pelham around 9pm, had dinner, checked into the hotel and settled into bed around 11pm (problem number 2). After a rough night sleep (problem number 3), we were up at 5 and out of the hotel by 6. Breakfast which consisted of a bowl of oatmeal, a banana and two pieces of toast was complete at 7:15, well inside the 3 hour window of race start (problem number 4).
I setup my transition area near the end of one bike rack. While setting up, my good friend, Andrew Jones (Rock Hill, SC), comes over and comments on the heat.
Andrew Jones of Rock Hill, SC stopping by to say Hi. It was only 7am and it already felt close to 90. Everyone was walking around, sweaty, and the race wasn’t even close to starting. All the spectators, family, friends, and dogs that had shown up were trying to find a shady spot near the lake to keep cool. I could tell It was going to be a scorcher as I was waiting in line to get numbered. The good thing is, at the regional races, they mark the back of your calf with your age group division number. In the Xterra points series, you’re racing more against your age division than you are everyone else (of course, the Pros are in a league of their own). When it comes to qualifying for Nationals, it’s all about where you stand within your age group division. As always, it’s a motivator when you come up behind someone on the trail, spot the number on their calf and see they’re in your division. Instant motivation to push harder. The swim was two laps around a 750 meter, triangular course (notice the two yellow, 6-foot tall buoys in the picture above). On the return lap, you have to come through the big arch, run past the flags and back into the water. This is always a welcomed break from the swim and gives me a breather. Getting Ready to Swim The sea of triathletes lining up at the lake always makes me nervous. It’s always the first chance you get to look around and see your competitors. As we lined up at the lake, the announcer stated that the water is a balmy 82 degrees. “It’d be like swimming at the YMCA,” I told myself. They always have the pool uncomfortably warm. My swim went fairly well. No one kicked my goggles off, although a few of us did get tangled up at times. Nothing is more frustrating than getting in a grove only to have it broken by someone running into you. There were several times that I felt overheated (yes, in the water). I would breast stroke for a few strokes to catch my breath, costing me valuable time. At the half-way point, I was about middle of the pack. Coming out of the water, I could get an idea of my position, which I was not happy with. It was frustrating and motivating all at the same time.
Halfway through the swim The second half of the swim went about as well as the first half. I played a constant battle in my head if I should push harder and risk overdoing it too early in the race or whether I should stay steady and make up for it on the bike. In past races, I’d made up tons of positions/time on the bike, with the exception of Fort Yargo. I opted to keep the swim steady (problem number 5). Running from the swim to the transition area, I was already evaluating my performance on my swim. “I should have swam faster. I should have gotten a better time. Man, do I hate running barefoot.” Just many of the thoughts.
Run from Swim to Transition Once in the transition area, a lot my thoughts quickly subside into neatly organized steps that I needed to follow once I arrived at transition. Feet. Socks. Shoes. Camelbamk. Helmet. Gloves. “Damnit these socks always slow me down.” Sidebar: I’ve always wondered how the Pros do it without socks. In my many tries during training, I always end up getting chaffed or blistered by the dust, dirt & grime from mountain biking.
Unfortunately, they didn’t use the same timing methods as last year, so the splits included transition times and were hand tallied. The only place they used a chip was one that they laminated into the run bib. Very bad idea in my opinion.
Swim to bike transition Transition went very smoothly with no issues. This race was the first time I rode this particular bike. The week prior, I broke a main pivot bolt on my normal, trusty steed. I knew it was coming as the pivot bushing was already moving around a bit. However, I put off taking it into the shop knowing that I had training rides that needed to be performed. That decision would be another mistake (problem number 6) as it would break on the very next ride. After finally taking it to the shop, they informed me that it would be a week before they could get the part. I had already test-ridden this bike, so I decided to make the purchase in order to be able to race. I was a little concerned with the stock, crappy tires that came on the bike. They’re tons better than the stock tires you get on your average Huffy, but not as good as the tires I was running on my race bike. Pressed for time, I decided to take the bike as-is instead of bothering the bike shop about swapping the tires (problem number 7). The tires would prove to not corner as well as I was used to and the bike felt very loose as I slipped on just about every sandy corner. This took my confidence and speed down a couple of notches on the switchbacks. However, on everything else, the bike was flawless. It especially handled well on the rocky down hills. Every time I went downhill, a smile would appear on my face.
In an effort to mitigate cramps from the extreme heat and sweat, I had planned on taking electrolyte capsules about 5 miles into the bike. The night before I had installed a capsule dispenser into the end of one side of my handlebars. It’s a nifty little contraption that dispenses the capsules one at a time, making it possible to do it on the fly. However, during one of my downhills, the edge of my handlebars clips a tree causing the dispenser to bust open. All five capsules go flying into the woods (problem number 8). I should have given this method a test run before the race.
The Bike Leg The rocky 3 mile 700 foot climb at mile 6 would be my undoing. Twice I would have to get off and walk a bit as my heart rate exceeded acceptable levels. Between the long climb and 106 degree heat index, “going nuclear” is about the only way to describe it (as Melanie McQuaid explained). The second time I probably pushed a little too hard and too long. This made me feel exhausted for the rest of the ride. The long downhill was a welcomed relief. I gained *super* speed, loosened up my arms and let the bike do its thing. It was amazing how well it performed and I passed numerous riders as we approached Blood Rock. Blood Rock is a technical downhill section with some decent sized drops. I was told by numerous folks that the best way through Blood Rock was to carry speed. That doesn’t mean fly through it, but to go steady. Just as I enter the rocky section, I came upon two riders who had come to a complete stop. As I came to a stop, I couldn’t get unclipped and fell over. What a goofy newb move. The crowd of 50 or so people sitting around (watching the race at this section waiting for a casualty) applauded. My new bike receives its first riding scar on one of the jagged rocks. After picking myself up, I attempted to get going again, but couldn’t get clipped in quick enough for the next drop, causing me to step off of the bike again. As I got back on my bike for a third attempt, someone in the crowd said, “Wow, he’s determined.” “I’m gonna ride it!” I exclaimed. I leaned against a tree, clipped in both feet and yelled, “Ready?!”. Almost everyone in the crowd yells back, in unison, “Ready!” I took off, riding the rest of the way down the next 4 or 5 drops to the applause of the crowd. It was awesome and very motivating to have that little exchange with the crowd. If anyone who was sitting out there reads this, I extend a warm thanks.
The transition from bike to run went very smooth. I came in, racked the bike, yanked my helmet and camelback off, stepped out of my bike shoes and into my running shoes. I grabbed my hat, belt, water bottle and took off. Wanting a cold drink of water, I started to take a swig out of my bottle. However, about the same time I decided to do so, I felt the heat of the water through my bike gloves (I always wear my gloves on the run in case of a fall). On my way out of transition, I grabbed two glasses of water from the in-transition water stop. One over the cap and one in the mouth. I knew there was a water stop at the trail head, so while I ran up the road, I emptied the bottle into the grass. Many folks have asked why I run with a bottle. It’s a security blanket for me I guess. I never end up drinking all of the water, but it sure is nice to wet the whistle when you want to, not when a water stop is convenient. On my way to the trail head, I was still having problems dealing with the heat. Although I usually keep the gloves on, they sure were uncomfortable and I wanted to shed them. Where to put them?
As I approached the trail head water stop, a volunteer offered to fill my water bottle. Simultaneously, I handed him the bottle and grabbed a cup of water from the little girl that was manning the stop with him. I noticed that someone had taken their bike gloves off and placed them on the water stop table just behind one of the jugs. What a great idea! I shed my gloves and placed them in the same spot. Running away from the water stop, I pop in three electrolyte capsules since I didn’t get any on the bike. I had stowed them in my water bottle pouch as a backup. Good thing.
On the Run The first couple of miles on the run is the same course as the first couple of miles on the bike. It has some moderate hills, switchbacks and some technical rocky sections. All-in-all not a bad run. At about the 2.5 mile mark, you dive off of the bike trail and into a hiking trail that consists of nothing but hills. As I became closer and closer to that portion of the run, my quads and hams are beginning to cramp something fierce. “Damnit, this is going to be just like Uwharrie.” I had fought this battle before and thought I had the problem nipped. I started to think about the race and what could have caused it. I surmise that it had to be lack of electrolytes as I had been getting plenty of fluid AND doing plenty of sweating. It made sense too as I lost my electrolyte supplements on the ride. I can’t stand Gatorade, so I had been avoiding it at the water stops. “How in the heck am I going to run the hills with these cramps?!” The Run Leg The run is a “suffer-fest for a trail run that features eight climbs amounting to roughly 1,800 feet of vertical gain” as the XterraPlanet.com website claims. Boy, they do not lie. As I began to run up the first steep climb, my legs were killing me. Knowing that I had many more climbs to go, I had no idea how I was going to complete it. On the way down the first climb, my hams cramped so bad I had to come to a stop for a second and work them out. It was very disappointing to see the person that I had been following, for almost the entire run, pull away. However, at the second climb they began to feel better. By the second downhill, the cramps had almost completely subsided. This didn’t take away the pain from exhaustion and trauma from the cramps, but at least I could run. By the third hill, I had caught and passed the person I had been following for most of the run. By the end of the run, I was feeling pretty good and had passed numerous people. I guess the electrolyte capsules I took at the beginning of the run helped.
I came across two hikers who were still surprised to see a race happening on their favorite trail. “How much further to the road?”, I asked. “About a half-mile”, one of them replied. No sooner did he answer the question, I heard the sounds of the finish line (announcer, music, crowd, etc). Time to pour on what I have left. I finished up the last half-mile to the road very strong. Once the trail dumped onto the road, I could see the finish line. About 100 meters from the finish, they divert you off of the road and back onto a trail that follows the lake shore. Coming into finish, I knew I hadn’t done near as well as I wanted, but finished strong.
Coming into the finish As soon as I came across the finish, they had volunteers there to grab you (literally) and whisk you over to a cool-down tent. By the time I came across, they already had folks in front of me pass out from heat exhaustion and dehydration. When they grabbed me by both arms, I thought I was getting arrested for something. I finished at 3:11.09, almost a full HOUR behind the first place Pro, Conrad Stoltz. He was finishing up his third I.V. of fluids as I sat reveling in the idea of misting hoses mounted inside the cool-down tent.
I finished 12th in my age group and a horrible 93rd overall with an official time of 3:11:10. Even with the terrible finish at this race, I still gained 37 points for the series.
For the points series, my standing is currently at 2nd place for the Southeast and 9th nationwide for my division.
Hopefully I'll qualify for nationals. :-)
Marcus
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May 17 Ramble Half Marathon Race ReportRace Name: Ramble Half Marathon Trail Run 2008
Location: Uwharrie National Forrest, Troy, NC
Date: 17 May 2008
Time: ~0900
Total Number of Racers: 203
It was a perfect day for a race. There were a TON more people than I think anyone expected, so the race started a bit late to allow everyone to get checked in.
Everyone started off with a countdown from race director, Tim Long. As we piled into the gravel road, I settled into a fairly fast pace behind Stan Austin, one of my fellow SharksBite running club members. I felt the pace was a little too quick of a start. No sooner that I thought it, Stan slowed his pace a bit and we settled into the run. Diving into the trail from the gravel road, we were clearly in the top 10 folks of the race.
The first half of the race was fairly uneventful, other than the fact that I left my waterbottle at the start. It wasn't an overly hot day, so I thought I could deal without it. As we passed a few people, we came upon moderate down-hill sections which Stan was a speed demon at negotiating. I tried my best to keep up with him as we ran down the technical sections in what can only be described as out of control. There were several times I just knew I was going to eat it.
Even though I couldn't keep up with Evel Knievel Stan Austin on the down hills, I usually caught up with him on the climbs. We played this back and forth game for most of the race.
The race course consisted of a figure 8 style course. At about the half-way point, the trail dumps us back out at the finish line. After a 25 yard sprint across an open area, it dives us back into the trail. Stan and I come out into the open area back to back.
As I came out, my wife, Alba was standing there taking a picture. She held out the water bottle I had forgotten and I snagged it diving back into the trail. Sometimes it is so uncanny how much she and I think alike. The water couldn't have come at a better time, as I really prefer my own bottle over fumbling with a paper cup. As I ran the second half of the race, it would prove invaluable as I used it to stay hydrated throughout the race without stopping. In the process of grabbing my bottle, I pass Stan who had decided to grab water from the water stop. We almost ran into each other as we reenter the trail. I give him the motion to get back in front of me. He politely responded for me to go ahead. I informed him that I liked his pace and would prefer he hop up front instead of just passing me later. Not more than 50 yards back into the trail began what would be a frequent occurence during this second half loop: a steep, steep, rocky climb. In the very rocky trails of Uwharrie, a fall could lead to a loss of teeth, broken bones or a concussion.
As we got about half-way up the first steep hill, Stan and I passsed a couple of fellow racers. Further along the second half, Stan began to extend the distance between the two of us. We came across two other runners who we had been following several paces back for most of the race. They had stopped for some reason which gave us the opportuniy to pass. At that point, Stan really picked the pace up a bit. He later tolds me that he did so to ensure a decent lead on the guys we had just passed. I had the same thought as I picked my pace up as well, both to extend my lead but to also try and catch up with Stan. We dump back out onto the gravel road we had raced up in the beginning. Stan is nowhere in sight. This proved to be somewhat deflating as I had hoped to have caught up by now. Stan would later report that he attempted to keep just ahead of me to keep out of my sight. His strategy had proven to work just as he planned. Had I seen him around one of the turns ahead, I would have been motivated to catch up. I wouldn't see him again until a turn-around point on the course. We both passed one more person in the last mile of the course which included the turn-around point.
It was a great race and I suffered no falls, injuries or any major problems.
Finish time: 1:29:31
Age Division Finish: 1st Place
Overall Finish: 7th Place
Results: http://www.racescapes.com/results/RAMBLE.HTM - - - May 04 1st Place in My Age DivisionRace Name: Xterra Uwaharrie Offroad Triathlon
Location: Uwharrie National Forrest, Troy, NC
Distances: 1000 Meter Swim, 24K Mountain Bike, 10K Trail Run
I raced in the Xterra Uhwarrie (open class) offroad triathlon today. It was a grueling race with some serious climbs, rocky throughout, boulders, mud, you name it... By the time I transitioned into the run, both quads, hams and glutes were cramping. I ran thinking that eventually they'd ease up, but they never did. I ran a slooooow 9:05 pace. I didn't have any major spills or issues on the bike, but fell 4 times on the run. I just couldn't seem to keep my feet picked up since they were cramping.
I finished 1st in my age division and 17th overall. My finish time was 3 hours, 8 minutes and some change (first place finished at 2:38.
Special thanks goes out to Jeremy Jenks for being my running partner for 98% of the run. I was a hurting camper and your companionship got me through it.
MORE PICTURES at http://www.speedylizard.com/gallery/albums/36.aspx
May 01 A Bit of a TumbleAs I took my last training ride before the race this weekend, i had a bit of a tumble. About 3 miles or so into the ride, I flew across a suspended cable bridge and got my arm tangled up into one of the cables. Needless to to say, I came to a very abrupt stop. It was kind of like getting "clotheslined" but done so with your arm.
I've ridden across this bridge dozens and dozens of times with no incident and was even a highlight of riding this particular trail. However, this time around, that wasn't the case.
I was a bit concerned about not being able to race and even cut the ride short with the thought of getting it seen by a dr. But after icing it last night and a little TLC from my wife, I think it looks much worse than it feels.
April 26 I sucked todayRaced the Xterra Fort Yargo offroad triathlon today. It's my third Xterra race, but my first points series race (long course). Let's just say I'm racing with the big boys now. I didn't even come close to finishing where I wanted. I finsihed 30th out of 110 competitors and 6th in my age group. Training for the points series is going to take a bit more effort than I have been giving. Time to step it up a notch.
April 19 Pics from Today's RideHeres the pics from today's ride. The camera just doesn't do justice.
Spencer, thanks so much for going with me. I had a blast and it has been waaaay to long since we've ridden together.
Dirty SharkSharky is enjoying the ride. A few creek crossings and some muddy areas. Back to the ride... April 18 First TRI of the Season - 1 week outXterra Fort Yargo is a week away (April 26th) and I'm very excited about the first race of the season. Tomorrow, I'm heading up to Uwharrie to pre-ride and pre-run the course that will be used for the May 4th Xterra Uwharrie. It'll be my last long ride and run as I will begin to taper my training. This will allow optimum recovery before the race. See you on the trails! Marcus April 05 9 Tips for Permanent Weightloss1. Avoid Fad or Traditional "Diets". While you are losing weight, I strongly recommend against those "diets" that involve eating in a significantly different way from how you intend to eat when not "dieting." Most folks make the mistake of not associating the benefit of weight loss with learning proper eating habits. You cannot achieve permanent weightloss with artificial eating patterns, silly fad diets or by skipping meals. Instead, you have to change your tastes, desires, and attitude.
2. Make health, not weight loss, your goal. If you set a healthy lifestyle as your goal, you are more likely to succeed in both improving your health and attaining permanent weight loss. Don't be too anxious to drop pounds right away. Enjoying the experience is crucial. You want to associate the experience of reaching a healthy weight with that of healthy eating. It may take a few months longer, but it will ensure that you'll never have to lose weight again.
3. Don't Give Up. A major reason people get discouraged and drop out of weight-loss programs is weight plateaus. Gained muscle mass and blood-vessel expansion due to exercise may temporarily seem to halt weight loss or cause a small gain, but these are actually very desirable phenomena. Since muscle weighs more than fat, you can lose body fat and inches without dropping pounds if you are building muscles at the same time. Changes in medication, menstruation, constipation, water retention, and other factors such as stress (which causes increased cortisol levels) may also cause weight loss to slow down or even reverse. Remember that your goal is to lose body fat. None of these factors causes an increase in body fat, so do not be discouraged by minor shifts of weight in the wrong direction. Be patient.
4. Raise your metabolic rate. A primary factor in determining your metabolic rate -- the rate at which you burn calories -- is the number of mitochondria in cells. Mitochondria are tiny energy factories that fuel every cell. The more you have, the more energy you will burn, which will keep you leaner. Unfortunately, we cannot simply take a mitochondria supplement. However, fat cells have very few mitochondria because fat cells store energy rather than burn it, whereas muscle cells have many because they need energy to perform their job. So as you build muscle cells from a regular exercise program, you increase your mitochondria, thereby permanently raising your metabolic rate, even when you are not exercising.
5. Maintain portion control. With the advent of "super-size" meals and increasingly huge portions at restaurants, our concept of normal serving sizes is a distant memory. Be mindful of the amounts of food you consume at a sitting. When necessary, divide your food in half and ask for a take home bag. It is all too easy to be a "plate cleaner" even when served enormous portions. Learn to pay attention to your hunger level and stop eating when you feel comfortably full, not stuffed.
6. Eat six healthy meals (actually, 3 meals and 3 snacks) during the day, including a good breakfast. Skipping meals causes increased hunger and may lead to excessive snacking of bad foods. I eat a sensible breakfast, lunch and dinner. In between, I have a mid-morning snack, a mid-afternoon snack and a late night (small) snack. Plan your meals out, especially your snacks. When you leave for work in the morning, you should either have your snacks in hand or a plan of what you will use for snacks. If you wait until snacktime to figure out what you will eat, chances are you'll resort to eating something bad.
7. Breakfast IS the most important meal. Start your day with a high-fiber breakfast cereal, such as bran flakes, shredded wheat or oatmeal. Opt for cereals with "bran" or "fiber" in the name. Or add a few tablespoons of unprocessed wheat bran to your favorite cereal.
8. Exercise is essential for weight loss. It's nothing new, but exercise is probably the most important predictor of whether you will succeed at long term weight loss and weight loss maintenance. In order for exercise to be helpful in weight loss, you should strive for a minimum of five 30 minute sessions per week. The good news is that recent research has shown that three 10 minute sessions in a day are as good as one 30 minute session. This helps many in combating the old "no time for exercise" excuse. Be certain to find something you enjoy. You'll be more apt to stick with it. Try walking with a friend, joining an intramural sports league, participating in outings with a group like The Sierra Club, or trying some classes at your local gym. Once you give exercise a chance, you will begin to enjoy its positive benefits on your psyche as well; you will literally become "hooked."
9. Weight train for weight loss. I chose to list this separately from the "exercise" category because of the significant weight loss benefits attached to weight training in and of itself. The basic equation is this: the more muscle tissue you have, the more calories |
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