Toni Church

Much of the time I prefer to run, walk or workout free of tunes just to clear my mind. However, when workouts last longer than 45 minutes to an hour, I need tunes to power me through them. As I continue to train for my half-marathon and subsequent walking marathon, my training sessions are frequently over an hour long and the right music can make it much more fun and motivating. I have heard from friends that the right music has increased their speeds and I definitely find this to be true for me as well. A heart pumping, fast beat, motivating song has the ability to fuel your workout or race, and boost your speed. I have experienced this first hand in many of my races. Even if you are just starting to workout for the first time in your life, the right playlist can get you through those times that you want to quit and go back to your old ways. I'm going to tell you how I create my playlists. Afterwards, let's share lists of songs for different fitness goals. The facts are that I have so much music in my iTunes account that making playlists is necessary so that I do not have to keep passing over the music that I love for relaxing, but hate for working out. 3 criteria for a great workout playlist I recommend coming up with three to four criteria for every playlist you create. Here are the three criteria I have for my running playlists: Motivational - Songs that I have an emotional bond with push me to stay disciplined during my workouts. Think about songs that have lyrics or melodies that remind you of times when you felt confident. Fast beat - I try to match the beat of the song to the pace I want to keep up during my workout. Since I personally focus on speed, my songs usually have a fast beat. For you, this is a great opportunity to get fit and learn more about music, specifically rhythm. Adrenaline pump - I test songs to see which ones get my heart pumping. Those songs get put in my playlists. I tend to stay away from songs that get me into moods that are not conducive for working out. For example, I love a lot of ballads, but those songs are better for times when I want to relax and slow down. My favorite heart pumping, motivating song that frequents my playlists multiple times throughout is “You’re The Best” from the Karate Kid. I know it is cliche, but when I feel like I can’t go on anymor,e this song makes me think of my inner strength and it fuels me to finish my workout, run, or race. This is my playlist that I created for my 10K this weekend. New races, new playlists I usually create a new playlist for each workout routine or race. The criteria is always the same, but the songs frequently change as I make the playlist length match closely to the length of time I want to spend going through my workout. These playlists have the ability to pick me up when I feel like I can’t go on, which is usually at about mile eight or nine during a run. This weekend, I anticipate that I may need a boost at about mile five for my 10K race. Even if I don’t start the race with music, I have playlists ready to go when I most need them. Just make sure you charge whatever device you are planning to use prior to your workout or race! What songs do you most frequently play when you need a boost during a workout? *** Photo Credit: Woman listening to music while on an elliptical from Thinkstock.

In preparation for a half marathon, I've been going through cross training exercises approximately three times a week. In this video, I asked a FitOrbit personal trainer, Amanda Ebner, for advice on what cross training exercises are best for people who want to get in shape, but not necessarily become regular marathoners. I'm going to make sure and use Amanda's advice as I get ready for both the Brooklyn Half Marathon and the New York City MoonWalk. Based on working with her over the last few weeks, I have developed themes for my three days of cross training a week: Core building (Day 1) - I focus on developing muscles in my legs and abs. Conditioning (Day 2) - Then, I put my energy into exercises that build endurance. Power (Day 3) - Finally, I spend time on my upper body strength so I can power through those times that I am dragging a little. Amanda gives examples of exercises for each theme in the video. If you have a question for Amanda on cross-training (even "what is cross training"), leave it in the comments section. She has kindly given all of us some of her time over the next month. If you're interested in training along with me for a half marathon, check out my post on The Happy Marathon.

Running a marathon is not for everyone. Training is both time consuming and stressful, both physically and mentally. Even for “us” runners who ache to run a marathon, sometimes the physical “stress” of training ends in injury rather than the reward of finishing a marathon. This is how my journey to NYC marathon ended last year, leaving me wondering whether or not I could actually run a marathon at all. In the end, I decided to defer my marathon until 2014 to give myself time to build my mileage and endurance, without injuring myself again. So I have developed a new plan for marathons this year that I believe I can accomplish and will add to my happiness (see the happy power walkers in the picture above), not just my physical health. I'm going to take you through my "happy marathon plan" and then I am going to invite you to join me at a special marathon on July 20. A half marathon is a happy length I feel that the half marathon is the perfect distance for me to build back my mileage and endurance because it is attainable with only three days of running a week. The Brooklyn Half will be my first race since my stress fracture and my training will focus on just running and mileage, rather than speed or time. My goal is to use a half marathon to support my peace of mind. My happy training plan is three days of running that focuses on a particular mileage without the stress of maintaining a certain pace. I posted the details of my plan in a Google document so you view it, print and use it if you want. While my first marathon of the year will be the Brooklyn Half, I am excited to participate in another marathon in July called the MoonWalk and I'd love for you to join me. The MoonWalk is a power walk through New York City that helps raise money and awareness for breast cancer research. As my fellow Real Health contributors, Rosemary and Phyllis, noted recently, community involvement is a great way to reduce stress and feel better. Get happy at the MoonWalk Walk the Walk, the organization behind MoonWalk, started 17 years ago when the founder, Nina Barough, convinced 13 women to join her in power walking the New York City Marathon. Get this though. They were all sporting decorated bras in an effort to raise money for breast cancer. The MoonWalk was born when the London Marathon organizers were unable to accomodate a second team entered by Walk the Walk. Nina arranged for the girls to walk a marathon the night before and to pass the “baton” off the the team officially walking the London Marathon; thus the MoonWalk was born. Now the MoonWalk is coming back to New York City and I am going to power walk it. I am so excited to be participating in this event. This is a way for me and you to get involved in a marathon without having to run a full marathon. In addition to walking this marathon, I plan to raise money for breast cancer and motivate others to get involved in the MoonWalk by participating or volunteering. I will be walking as part of the Empire BlueCross BlueShield Team and would love for you to join me and my team in participating in this event. I detailed the registration insructions at the bottom of this post. However, let's talk a little about power walking first. Facts about power walking Weight loss - If you walk a minimum of four times a week. at a pace that elevates your hear rate for 45 minutes, you could lose 18 pounds in one year without changing your diet. Comparisons to running - Power walking at 4.5 mph burns the same amount of energy as running does. Difference from running - Power walking is lower impact than running and places less stress on your bones and joints, which makes it less likely to cause an injury. Support for aging - Walking can help develop strong bones. I don’t know about you, but power walking a marathon sounds like a great alternative for anyone that doesn’t want to actually run a marathon. I am excited to start training for my first “walking” marathon. As part of my welcome package for the MoonWalk I received a Fitbit, which is a wireless activity tracker that tracks my steps, distance and calories burned. I am currently obsessed with my Fitbit and my goal is to hit 10,000 steps a day and I challenge you to do the same. Join In Now that I have outlined my half marathon plan and my power walking plan, which together make up my happy training plan, it is time for me to challenge you to get involved. Here are a couple of ways to join with me in raising awareness about breast cancer, getting in shape and accomplishing a marathon "lite": If you are in the New York area or can come to the city that never sleeps on July 20, register for the MoonWalk and walk with my Empire BlueCross BlueShield team. Click on the registration page, go to "join a team," and find "Empire BlueCross BlueShield." If you can't make it to New York, follow along with the training plan I provided above and lean on me for accountability. Post in the comments section how you are doing with the training plan. I'll give more tips on how to keep going during times when working out is the last thing on your mind. What are you committing to this year that gives back to the community and supports your health? *** Photo Credit: Scotland MoonWalk from Flickr user Txceylon

Many of my friends lament that eating healthy increases their stress levels. I certainly have felt that way in the past, but as spring is around the corner, I am committed to having a sunny disposition and helping myself and others be happy with all aspects of healthy living. With that in mind, I set out in March to find my happy meal - a single meal that had the best combination of nutrional value and support for what I love. After reading about my adventure in making eating healthy a fun adventure, I challenge you to find your happy meal and describe it in the comments section for others to read about. What makes eating healthy a stressful task? Finding my “happy” meal was harder than I expected for a couple of reasons. First, I just love so many different foods, picking just one meal that makes me happy was difficult. Second, it made me think through what makes eating healthy stressful at times. After thinking through this conundrum, I came to the conclusion that the following are the main culprits for making food such a source of anxiety: We become obessessed with counting calories We outright label food as good or bad We take on complicated recipes instead of easy recipes I realized that I have a love hate relationship with food. I love to eat, but I hate worrying about calories. On a whole, I eat a healthy diet, but I whole heartedly believe that we can eat anything we want with some guardrails. Those guardrails include: Eating everything in moderation Making an effort to have a generally well balanced diet What makes a happy meal? My “happy meal” (hint: I am not talking about McDonald's here) is corned beef and cabbage. What makes this meal special is the connection I feel to my family and heritage. This meal reminds me of my grandfather who was half Irish and who sadly passed away on St. Patrick’s Day four years ago. When I sit down to this meal I remember him, our connection and all the great times we had together. I make this meal every year on or around St. Patrick’s Day and after I eat it I am left wondering why I don’t make this meal more often. Though, I think that the rarity of this meal is one of the reasons that it is so special to me. When we cook the same meals over and over again they start to become boring and repetitive and the lose their appeal. This is a meal that is not only easy to make, but it is absolutely delicious! What made this meal my “happy” meal: The emotional connection The ease of preparation and cooking The taste The rarity of the meal While I understand you will want to find your own happy meal, I have detailed the recipe for my corned beef and cabbage here. The happy corned beef and cabbage recipe 1.5 pounds of corned beef 1 head of cabbage 2.5 pounds of red potatoes Seasoning packet or pickling spices This will feed approximately a family of four. The preparation goes as follows: Cut potatoes into small cubes and place into bottom of the crockpot. Trim corned beef of extra fat and place on top of potatoes. Sprinkle seasoning packet on top of corned beef. Remove core from cabbage, slice in half and then slice each half into quarters and add to crock pot. Add water until crockpot is 3/4 full. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Serve with spicy mustard and enjoy! This also makes for great leftovers!! I always buy a large corned beef so that I have leftovers for sandwiches the next day. Rye bread plus corned beef plus mustard equals delicious. I challenge you to find a happy meal before Friday April 12? Why April 12? That's when we are going to start turning our attention to spring fitness habits here at Real Health. What's your happy meal? For the past month, I have been tweaking my health habits to make them more supportive of my happiness. If you're interested in happy healthy habits, check out: The Happy Health Goal The Happy Run *** Editor's Note: Toni Church posts to Real Health every Friday as she trains for her first marathon later this year. She is available to talk in the comments section about the challenges and opportunities related to staying fit as a busy mother and career woman.

I want health to be a means to happiness. With that in mind, last week I sat down and came up with a happy goal for my running training. Now that I have my goal set, I am ready to start acting on my intentions and I have started going on "happy runs." In this video, I discuss what I have decided to take with me on these runs and what I have decided to leave behind. What you'll see is that I have made my runs as bare bones as possible. I am putting aside anything that might distract me, stress me out or make my run more or less than a run. After checking out how I have put together happy runs, let me know how you are doing with putting together happy goals and activities. Let's help each other out and turn healthy lifestyles into happy lifestyles. What is the difference, for you, between a workout routine that leaves you happy and one that leaves you stressed? If you learned something from this post, you might also enjoy Harold Shaw's discussion on how words and thoughts impact how you feel about exercises. *** Editor's Note: Toni Church posts to Real Health every Friday as she trains for her first marathon later this year. She is available to talk in the comments section about the challenges and opportunities related to staying fit as a busy mother and career woman.