With the exception of when Daughter was in a stroller, I have always trained on my own.  Now generally speaking this is because I Power Walk and I don’t know anyone local that can walk my pace.  Fitness walkers are slower, runners are faster, and while run/walkers may average the same pace, they travel at a different rhythm.  That said, the truth is also very much influenced by the fact that walking has long been my refuge from the noise of the world.  I put my headphones on and off I go, mind whirling over decisions that must be made, ideas for moving forward, problem solving, and sometimes to just be completely mindless and enjoy the scenery.  I have never felt a loneliness in my solitary past time.  Walking is my time for me.  There is plenty of time in the rest of the day to be social.

I must admit though that for the past year I have been contemplating looking for a training partner.  I see runners out together, enjoying the rhythm that they establish together, sharing the satisfaction of success at the ends of their runs, and I think, I would like this. Of course thinking I might like a training partner and actually inviting one into my life are two different things.  I must be willing to sharing this time.  I must be committed to maintaining the training partnership.

It is one thing to train runners and walkers and be on the course with them.  I am the coach.  I check in.  I observe form, measure improvements, encourage through the down times, teach technique and form, and (lucky me), get to share in the big moments.  But this relationship is not the same as that you have a with a training partner.  With a training partner, as in coaching, there is a shared desire and goal that is worked toward together.  With a training partner, as in coaching, there is a bond that helps the relationship persevere.  But also with a training partner, there is an implication that I am willing to give up my me time, my one-on-one, in my head, enjoy some peace time.  An implication of having a training partner is that while out training, as in coaching, I will be thinking about someone else, not just what is happening with my body and motion.  That is a HUGE commitment.

And yet as I see these training partners each morning, I envy them their camaraderie.  I want this companionship.  So just over a week ago I made the plunge!

Husband was on the deck speaking to his sister, on the phone.  I sat next to him, laptop open, suddenly in the mindset to look for my training partner.  I have no idea why at that time I suddenly fixated on the search, but I did.  I had no conscious thought as to what I was looking for.  And I certainly had no idea that before the day was out I would have committed to this decision that would change my training and my life.  Several times I shoved my laptop across to him to show him a picture.  I am sure that he was a bit perplexed.

When he got off the phone I moved in for the sell.  I knew it would be an easy sell.  I showed picture after picture of potential training partners – faces that you could not resist.  But he seemed to be resisting, but gave me an “OK, give them a call.”  I could tell he was humouring me – not really expecting me to make this commitment.  I sent out two emails and left one phone message.  It was 11:30am.  Then I headed out to the grocery store.  On my return I knew that Husband on on board – the phone call had been returned and he had spoken with Lena.  By 2:15pm we were on our way to a farm outside Toronto to meet a group of four girls – one of whom I knew would become my future training partner.

I am very excited to introduce to you my new training partner – Bentley.  She is a Golden Doodle.  Her mom is a Golden Retriever, her dad is a Standard Poodle.  Bentley is now 9 weeks old and I am over the moon at the prospect of having her out training with me every day.  I am so pleased with this decision that the work ahead does not phase me.  Next year at this time, I will have a beautifully trained running and walking partner who will share my excitement at getting out the door to train.

Now the key to finding a dog that will make a good training partner is not about going to look at a litter and picking the first one that slobbers all over you.  There are many steps to finding and creating a dog that will make a successful training partner and the least of them is the emotional pull you have toward a cute little face.  So if you too would like to find a training partner here are some tips to help you make your selection:

1.  Pick a breed. I am very familiar with the Retrievers – my favourite the Labrador Retriever and the Golden Retriever.  Husband is partial to Goldens.  They both have great temperaments good with adults, children, and other animals.  Overall, both breeds are laid back, easy going, and strong; all keys to a good training partner.

I have also long admired the grace of the Standard Poodle.  They are such a large, stately, elegant, even tempered breed and like the retriever have great muscle tone.  So when looking for a dog, and not willing to invest thousands in the purebred of either breed, the less expensive cross of a retriever and a poodle seemed a good option.

2. Observe the whole litter. It is optimal to make a selection of a puppy when they are a bit older.  Watch how they interact with their litter mates and how they react to human newcomers.  Bentley was one of 5 girls.  When we went to see her, we were lucky to have the whole litter present.  One had a red ribbon indicating that she had owners already.  This ribboned puppy was yappy and aggressive.  She was the first to run to me.  She climbed over her sisters and nipped constantly to try to get my attention.  Another three puppies held their ground against her, fighting for some attention from me.  Wherever I moved, these 4 puppies followed.  At the back of the pen, largely disinterested in the clamour of her sisters was the largest puppy of of the litter.  She had large paws, was a beautiful golden colour and calmly lay in the back, seemly oblivious to the fuss my arrival had created.

3.  Select a temperment you can live with. As I played with the very social four, I watched this other puppy (who would soon be called Bentley) assessing her temperment.  I knew instinctively that the yappy four had no qualities that I was looking for; they were too easily reactive to new people coming in to their space.  I knew that training them to be unreactive to others when out on a training session with me would be a lot of work.  Pushing the other puppies aside, I tried to get closer to  the “timid” puppy (as her human family referred to her).  Thing is I knew she wasn’t timid.  She just didn’t over react to her environment. As I rubbed her ears, her head relaxed into my hand in pleasure.  She calmly moved out of the way when her sisters became a nuisance.

I have never been partial to dogs that insist on being front and center, constantly demanding attention.  And for the purpose of finding  a dog to train with, this quality would create so much more work to overcome.  I am very much a path of least resistance person and I didn’t want the training of a puppy to be more about controlling a personality trait rather than training a puppy to run or trot next to me.

I was sold on Bentley!  She was calm and politely social at 8 weeks of age.  She had large paws indicating that she would be a large, strong dog capable of handling long training days with ease.  She had a pretty face.  And when I held her in my arms, she nestled against my chest totally relaxed and trusting.

So Bentley came home with us and life in our household changed forever.  Cat still isn’t so happy about the newest addition, but we are maintaining a comfortable space, free from the puppy, for her.  As for Husband and I, a week and a half later, we are still a bit tired, but so happy with our new family member.  After a few days of  learning her potty rhythm, and a few sleepless nights as we introduced her to a kennel, everything seems to have quietly worked out.  Bentley is now house trained, barking to go out when it is potty time.  She sleeps happily in her kennel each night.  AND, most importantly, Bentley is very quickly learning how to walk on her lead.

We have months of training ahead as I prepare Bentley to road train with me. I am researching techniques and tools to optimize this experience for us both.  I will keep you appraised of our progress as the months pass.  And this time next year, I am confident that Bentley and I will have great training days together.  I am very excited that I have joined the ranks of those runners who I have been envying – the ones that are training with their dog running joyously by their side.  Training days have just taken on a whole new outlook!

If you have tips to pass on from your own experiences training a dog to run or walk with you during training, I would love to hear your words of wisdom.

It has been quiet on The Walking Coach, but have no fear, the Coach is back; things will start stirring again.  Although I am not quite my usual self, I am better than I have been in a very long time.  I’ll give you the short version of the story as it may prove to be useful to you sometime down the road. It is a tale of having the side-effects of prescription medications take over my life.

Several months ago, after months of trying to work through several medical conditions, I was forced to stop and allow my body to heal.  Not being a personality that gives in gracefully to illness, this proved to be an extremely challenging time in my life.  I had to agree to go to the dark side of medicine – prescription drugs.  Life became a black hole of side-effects in which I seemed to be drowning.

The fact is that I had to be taking medications if I was going to get better, but it was a challenge to find a drug combination that my body would tolerate.  One treatment plan changed three times before it finally got to the point where the doctor said that I had to decide to what degree I could live with the side-effects versus my willingness to get better.

Most of each day – for over three months – was spent flat out in a frustrated state of mind.  Wanting to do something – anything – but not being able to summon the energy to even gather my thought processes on how to accomplish a task was driving me crazy.  Having a whole week go by and realizing that I had still not done one simple task – such as place a phone call to a friend or even open my email, just seemed to heighten my annoyance at what I perceived to be my body betraying the care that I have always given it.

No matter how I wanted things to be different, the reality was that the side-effects of the drugs, in conjunction with the medical conditions, had control of how my day was spent.  For 20 hours each day I was either sleeping in bed or a quiet lump curled up at one end of the sofa.  Vertigo, loss of appetite, insomnia, constipation, nausea, exhaustion, racing heart, anxiety, bad dreams, dehydration, shift of center of balance…and on and on.  Fortunately some side-effects came and went early in the treatment. Unfortunately some stayed throughout.  The only constant was my perpetual need to be lying down, not talking, not thinking, pretty much just a useless body of flesh on a sofa.

Now throughout this the trainer in me kept screaming to get moving.  There is nothing worse that lying around all day.  It affects your mental state, your muscle mass, your cardiovascular endurance.  The more stationary you are due to illness, the more alternate issues that are created.  I at least had the presence of mind to force myself into some sort of physical exertion each day. So what if after training I had to lie down…it’s not as though my body was going to let me do anything else for the rest of the day.

So train I did!  Now, clearly I could not expect to be able to train the way that I normally did.  The side effects were totally hampering my ability to function normally.  The goal here wasn’t to climb mountains when my illnesses passed, but rather simply to try to minimize the loss of muscle tone and cardiovascular endurance, as well as give me some sense of accomplishment each day so I didn’t go totally insane.

So I created a plan; a training strategy that my body could handle and that I could live with.  Not so easy when you are used to walking 20K on Sunday mornings, but heh, you have to learn to take a hit and then jump back up swinging – and this I did!

The game plan was simple.  Five kilometers a day, with a pace over 1 minute slower than my norm walking pace of 7:30/Km, 5 days a week, followed by a strength training session that involved some flow yoga and weights.  Because I was struggling to stay awake during the strength portion, this training generally took 1 1/2 hours out of my early morning, but some days longer.  Well over 2 hours after I had left to do my walk, Husband would find me lying on the floor with weights by my side .  But I hung in!  That at least I can say.  I persevered.  Fortunately I had the luxury of being able to nap afterward and then head to the shower to clean up for a day of resting.  What a life!

A few weeks ago I decided that enough was enough.  Enough with the side-effects.  Enough with the lolling around all day.  Enough with drugs ruling my life.  So after a few days of risk assessment, I stopped the most offending drug, hoping for the best.  And while the first few days were a bit rough as my body readjusted, within a week I was out of the black hole that had become my existence.  The change was so dramatic that for the first time in almost a year I could acknowledge just how ill I had actually been.  I actually felt like me again – a weaker version sure, but heh, my life didn’t revolve around some surface that allowed me to lie down!  This is progress!

So that’s the short version of the story.  Now to the information learned.  As a Personal Trainer I know that medications altered our physical abilities.  What I did not know was the extreme degree to which some medications can affect our bodies or that some of these side-effects can actually create muscular damage which can lead to long-term chronic pain if training is continued while on the medication.

Typically when we experience muscular pain following a training session we look to the actual training for a reason behind the pain.  Checking for shoe wear, questioning our pace, blaming inadequate warm-up…all potential areas that could lead to a training injury. And if we are taking a medication we rarely make the connection that the drug has changed our body to the degree that it is affecting our performance.

For me personally, one of the biggest issues was that I discovered that one particular drug had shifted my perceived center of balance.  My body was leaning imperceptibly to the right.  Now for most people who would just be doing daily activities, this side-effect would not be noticed, but for me who was trying to maintain a training schedule it became apparent in a painful way.  During, and following training, I experienced pain in my left hip and IT Band.  Then over the next two weeks, chronic neck pain began.  We had X-rays done to determine that there wasn’t anything skeletal wrong with my neck and determined that the symptom was muscular-based.

Long-term, this meant that if I continued training with this side-effect, I would likely stress my muscles to the point that I would have to live with chronic pain on my left side. The solution to this side-effect was to drop my training distance and speed down.  AND, I bought a special insole with arch support and heel stabilization ( check out Orthaheel) that forces my feet to stay in neutral, which relays up the leg and up the spine keeping my body where it should be. (I’ll do a review of this product in a few weeks – just love it!)  All this was then followed up with a daily work-out that includes some granny push-ups to help the neck and some yoga to target my hip and IT band.

Another surprising side-effect of this particular medication – or rather the combination of medications was dehydration.  My body became a desert and electrolyte drinks three times a day were my saving grace.  Now if I hadn’t recognized the dehydration symptoms it would have led to kidney issues – not a pleasant thought.  Fortunately I love my Vega Sport electrolyte drink and it has been my saving grace throughout this.

So I did some checking with the drug experts and have some simple tips for you to incorporate when you are training while on prescription medications.

Prescription for Training on Drugs:

1. Check the list of side-effects: I love the internet for the information that it makes readily available to us.  All drug manufacturers list on the net the side-effects and warnings for their products – keeping their butts covered.  Be aware of what may happen and watch for the signs.  Don’t get paranoid now.  Just stay alert to your body and note changes that you are experiencing.
2. Consider other medications you are on: Combination drugs can create interactions with something you are already taking.  Your pharmacist may be able to help alert you to side-effects as a result of combining drug therapies, but my pharmacist tells me that just because there are no adverse warnings for drugs interactions, it doesn’t mean that surprise side-effects won’t pop up.  My dehydration for example was not a listed side-effect of any of my medications, but the result of two medications being combined – a surprise treat that could have been expected given that both drugs are known to cause constipation.
3. Assess the side-effects: Your pharmacist may be able to help you here – particularly if he, or she, is physically active, (such as a runner or cyclist).  My pharmacist tells me that the chemical changes that take place during training are normal and healthy, but may cause drugs to enter our bloodstream quicker than planned by the manufacturer.  So don’t just pay attention to the common side-effects; there may be less common effects that may be triggered simply because you are physically active, so you may need to schedule training around your doses.  Also, consider drug combinations with similar side-effects, such as constipation, that may lead to dehydration.
4. Modify your Training Plan: Now this may not be necessary, but accept that there may be side-effects that will affect your body such that a change in training is necessary.  Keep your pharmacist and doctor apprised of your training routine and let them guide you on modifications that will keep you active but not deter your return to good health.  The key here is to keep moving.

So how are things for me these days since I stopped the offending medication?  Great!  I am on the mend and happily there appears to be no long-term issues as a result of having lost my center of balance.  Through it all I managed to maintain my strength despite days lolling around eating blueberries.  I went out to train one day last week and felt the desire to run.  So I took off expecting to be able to run maybe 1/2 km – after all I had done no running for months.  But instead I was excited to find that when I opted to stop I had reached 2km – the max that I will generally run.

I am also still on one electrolyte drink a day regardless of training, with an extra one added if the day is particularly hot.  It is important to not get dehydrated again and it being summer time, better safe than sorry.

I am still following my reduced training plan.  Fact is I am still not fully healthy, but I am excited that I have survived the worst with no big problems.  When I start my long training days again – I’ll save this for cooler weather – I know that I am strong enough to jump to a 10km day.

Watch for some changes to the site over the next month.  I will finally be uploading the information base that has been on the site since it was created in 2005, and adding some new tidbits of wisdom that will help you in your training.

Spring has sprung bringing us longer days and warmer weather.  And with the warmer weather comes the desire to don our sneakers and create new resolutions to live a healthy, active lifestyle.

So if the road is calling you and your sneakers, before you head out the door you should first do what I call the Spring Equipment Checklist.   Even if you have been out training all winter long now is a great time for you to assess the state of your equipment.  A good assessment will allow you to see areas where things can be improved, which in the long run will improve your training experience.

So here is a run down of the items on the Spring Equipment Checklist:  sneakers, feet, clothes, body, routes, music, and accessories.

SHOES Now the first place to start is definitely the most obvious but may prove to be the hardest – your sneakers.  We get very attached to our sneakers.  We put lots of miles on them and they start getting soft and oh so comfy.  We slip our feet into them and sigh with pleasure.  Now a great way to tell that your sneakers are past their expiry date, is by your adamant unwillingness to part with them.  If you can’t bear the thought of a structured shoe supporting you in your walk, this of course means that your sneaker is doing nothing to support you on your journey.

So go grab your sneakers and check them with me.  We need to assess the life of the treads and the insides.  You will have a walk pattern that will show up on the bottom of your sneakers wearing down some areas more quickly than others.  This uneven wear will give you an idea of how much of the tread has been worn away.    Particularly look for spots where the sole changes color due to the bottom layer wearing away.

Now let’s check the inside of your sneaker.  Pull out the insole and inspect it. Has the sole broken down so that once it is out of the shoe it looses shape?  Are there tears in the sole?  Have pressure points such as the heels and toes stretched it out of shape?

Next, lets check out the walls of the shoe. Slip your hand inside and feel along the walls.  Holes will form from repeated abrasion caused by our feet as they move within the shoe during each foot strike.   Some key areas are the back of the heel, the outside edge of the ball of your foot, and the roof of the shoe along the toe line.  Also don’t forget the inside heel area.  Just as it is wearing from the outside, your heel strike will breakdown the bottom of the shoe.  You may find that there is actually very little support left – it is all compressed so that your heel is getting no support at all.

So how do your shoes measure up?   I put in bold two areas that are definite no no’s.  But if you have symptoms throughout your shoe to a lesser degree, you also have problems.  Still not sure?  Try this test…go to the store and try on a new shoe in the make and model you currently use.  If the shoes feels dramatically different there is a reason…YOU NEED NEW SHOES!!  Do your body a favour and go shopping for a new pair!!!

FEET The next item on your checklist is what goes into your shoes – your feet!  It is time to start some pampering.  The better you care for your feet, the less likely you will develop issues such as cracked heels and lost toe nails.  One easy technique for handling callus build up or hard heels is to bring a pumice stone into the shower with you each day and use it to give your heels some care.  It only takes a few moments and within a few weeks you will have your feet feeling AND looking good.

Pressure from your toe nails rubbing against your sneaker can cause you to loose a nail.  Or you can develop sores on the side of your toes from untrimmed nails cutting into flesh.  So don’t forget to keep your toe nails in check.  Once cut to a good length, a quick swipe with an emery board each week will keep the length just right.

CLOTHES Now that we have your mode of transportation taken care of, it is time to assess the shape of your fitness clothes.  Trust me on this one!  You don’t want a seam giving out kilometers from home because you didn’t notice the hole that was developing!  Give a stretch to all the seams.  This will help show you any areas with small holes.  Look for loose threads – they may be the start of something big (hole wise that is).    But most importantly, check for FIT.  If your shirt is pulling in the arms, this will lead to chaffing.  If you have a hole in your sock you could get a blister.  If your pants are too short, someone will ask if you are expecting a flood!  So whatever you wear, give it the once over – socks, shirts, sweaters, pants…all of it.

Next is to make sure that you have what you need.  With unpredictable Spring weather, you need to dress in layers so that you can take off or add layers as needed.  You want a short-sleeve and long-sleeve top.  Alone or together they will give great layering. (Wear the short-sleeve under the long sleeve so if you need to remove a layer, you can use the arms of the long-sleeve shirt to tie it around your waist. )  A wind breaker will keep you covered on windy and rainy days.  And a hoodie will give added warmth on cool evening training sessions.

BODY Given that we have just finished our winter hibernation, I find that Spring is a good time to check where we are body-wise by taking some measurements.   This will give a good starting point of reference if you are just starting a fitness program. It is very gratifying to be able to verify areas where you are toning up.  Or, as in my case, use it as a check point to ensure that extra inches aren’t creeping on your frame.  The areas that I measure are:

• upper arm
• bust
• waist
• buttocks
• thighs
• calves

ROUTES I think your training routes should be switched out with every change of season, or at least twice a year.  Getting bored with where you are training will lead to you opting to stay home instead of hitting the road.  There is nothing better than some new scenery to keep things fresh.  Also you want to check the route for construction or other obstacles that may make the route dangerous.  I like to use GMAP to set my new routes, then I will drive the route (if possible) to see what is involved.  If there is something I don’t like, such as being too flat, I will check for an alternative.

MUSIC I have always advocated music as a significant motivator in your walking program.  Studies have shown that when you walk to music intended to establish your pace, you actually work harder and get more enjoyment out of the activity. (Incidentally, those who watch TV while on a treadmill, or listen to audio books when out walking, actually work less hard than those who use music – which means less of a pay-off.)

As part of getting ready for your Spring training program, switch out to some new music that keeps a good strong beat.  I always love creating a new playlist. I will spend considerable time going through iTunes for music that will help keep me on pace.  In a future blog I will give tips on how to select music for pacing.  In the meantime, find songs with a fast beat that get you excited and keep you moving.

ACCESSORIES We’ve reached the last item in your Spring Equipment Checklist.  Accessories includes all the extra stuff that long-distance walkers really rely on for the duration.

• Fuel belt – Is its closure working?  How are the water bottles – are their caps cracked?
• Hat – Does it need to be cleaned?  Is the bill protecting your face well enough?
• Sunglasses – Are they fitting well?  Is the nose bridge still soft?
• Distance tracker – Be it a pedometer, a GPS watch or the Nike IPod unit, check that it is working and then slip in fresh batteries.

In my checklist I have found several things that need to be replaced so I’m off to the store in preparation for my long walk on Friday.  Happy Spring!

I was reading a blog of a fellow personal trainer the other day. Tory was taking issue with the fitness magazines that were extolling the virtues of their 5 easy exercises that will give you a bikini body. She was feeling particularly venomous because she said that she could never achieve the models’ bodies with the exercises given.

Now we’ve all seen these articles. They can be found in every fitness and/or women’s magazine – and they are particularly plentiful right now because we can see the light of spring at the end of our long winter tunnel. As they eagerly remind us, we’re about to take off our winter layers so it is time to make sure that what is underneath is firm and tone.

I must admit that I chuckled at Tory’s reaction. It was almost as though she just saw – for the first time – the foolishness of articles such as these. And I understand that in her stance against these magazine she is advocating for the end to this ridiculous notion that as women we should all be these tiny, toned little wisps.

But Tory’s rant got me thinking about how I view these types of articles. Well, first off, I’m smart enough and experienced enough to know that the model was born with the perfectly distributed proportions that allow her to don a bikini and look picture perfect. I know that the reality is that if you are a pear you will always have a bottom out of proportion to your shoulders, and if you are an apple you will not have a curvy indented waist without surgery.

And secondly, I’m also smart enough to know that while the body pictured wasn’t achieved using those 5 exercises, those 5 exercises can provide some easy, manageable tools to help the average woman. Ignore the chick who is flogging the benefits of these exercises! Look at the content for what it is – a manageable plan to tackle an area of your body that you might not be so happy with.

You know, the problem with women is that when it comes to health and fitness we either ignore it or throw ourselves in so deep, we can’t help but drown. Follow me here… You decide that you need to loose weight. So you start counting calories with some computer program, you join a gym, change the way you grocery shop, stop eating out, walk more with the kids…you throw yourself in whole heartily. You do all the right things. But OH the work involved! All day long at work you kept opening up the food program to figure out if you can eat something. You take twice as long at the grocery store trying to figure out what to buy. The gym was busy when you got there after work and you had to wait to use some equipment. Supper took longer to cook because it was from scratch. The kids are grumbling because you said you would take them for a walk…and in reality you just need to go to bed to escape the madness of trying to live a healthy lifestyle. IT’S SO MUCH WORK!

Why as women are we so conditioned take we have to take a giant bite of the apple and then have so much in our mouth we can’t chew it or talk?

So that is why I like articles such as this. (Toss aside the misadvertisement – we all know that the chick does not look like that because of these exercises. ) Those 5 simple exercises give you something small and manageable to work with. Five exercises that you can do to tone your shoulders and arms. They will take 10 maybe 15 minutes out of your day. You don’t need a gym or fancy equipment. Doing these exercises won’t sideline your whole day – your whole life. They represent one easy manageable task that you can master for your healthy new lifestyle. You will see the benefits. You will reap the rewards. And once you have mastered this you can tackle some other area of your new healthy lifestyle. Maybe it will be time to learn to drink enough fluids during the day???

So don’t throw out the magazine – and don’t throw yourself in too deep. Tackle one area of your body that you are self-conscious about and take pride in your success…which by the way won’t show up for about 6 weeks, assuming you are following the exercise program three times a week

SYSTEM CRASH.  That’s what I get for opting to upgrade.  So sorry everyone.  I am working on getting the site functional and pretty again.    Jaclyn