Now that summer is upon us we have many great opportunities to buy and eat fresh local fruits and veggies.

During a  recent episode of bathroom cabinet cleaning sowed the seeds for a fun salad.

I discovered an empty bottle of Cucumber-Melon shampoo and a 1/2 filled bottle of the same in body lotion form. Now I didn’t eat/drink this BUT it was the inspiration for a delicious low fat and energy inducing salad with goodies from the City Market in Charlottesville.

I bought fresh organic cucumbers, a couple of organic cantalopes and honeydew melons and some nectarines.

I peeled then sliced the cucumbers and placed in a container.

I cut the cantaloupe (1) and melon flesh from the rind and cut into 3/4 inch blocks.  These were added to the cukes.

I cut and sliced 3 nectarines in small pieces and added to the container.

The mixture was tossed to mix well.

I made a dressing from 1 lemon (peeled) placed in a blender with a 1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar, 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive oil and a pinch of Sea salt.  This was poured over he mixture and it was place din the fridge until supper.

SUMMER “SHAMPOO” SALAD ( Cucumber-Melon)

4 medium sized Cukes ( peeled and sliced)

1 cantaloupe ( cut into 3/4″ cubes)

1 Honeydew melon (3/4″ cubes)

3 nectarines ( sliced) {peaches/plums OK}

Dressing: ( blended in a blender on high)

1 lemon- peeled

1/4 cup Raw apple cider vinegar

3 Tbs EVOO

Add to fruit/veggie mixture and let sit in fridge for 1-3 hours before serving.

As we sweat through summer workouts we should all be aware of the need to remain hydrated.  This can be accomplished with water before, during and after a workout as well as drinking water during the day.

Another great way to replace fluids and refuel is to eat your fruits and veggies.

“MOM WAS RIGHT”- besides all the health enriching and nutritional reasons-  eating fruits and veggies is a great way to add more water to your body while replenishing fuel.

The following charts list % water content of some fruits and Veggies:

             Fruits

           Veggies

Apples             85%
Apricots           85%
Bananas            76%
Cantaloupe         91%
Cherries raw       80%
Grapefruit Raw     88%
Grapes             82%
Oranges            86%
Papyas Raw         89%
Peaches Raw        90%
Pears Raw          82%
Peas Raw           81%
Peppers Green      94%
Pineapple Raw      85%
Plums Raw          87%
Raspberries        81%

Spinach Raw        92%
 Bean Sprouts       92%
Broccoli           91%
Cabbage Raw        92%
Carrots Raw        88%
Cauliflower Raw    91%
Celery             94%
Cucumbers Raw      96%
Lettuce Head       96%
Onions             89%
Radishes Raw       95%

This is just a sampling of great things to eat.  Get creative and eat up.

SUGGESTIONS-

Box of Crayons Slaw    (serves 1-3)

2 cups cabbage  (92% water)

1 cup carrots    (88%)

1 cup green apple (85%0

1 cup berries (~80%)

Mix with 1/2 cup raw vinegar and 2 tablespoons mustard

This powerhouse will have you sprinting out the door to workout again.

As a vegetarian I have a different take on the summer BBQ season. I love playing with fire and cooking so I do some creative grilling.

VEGGIES

Peppers roast up great. Place on te grill whole/or half

Onions are great and again they can be whole or in half or even rounds.

Roma tomatoes are the best tomatoes for the grill ( I know they are a fruit)

Corn of the Cob- The king of grilled veggies. Buy the corn still in its natural husk, soak the corn, husk and all in lightly sea salted water, for 10-20 minutes. Place directly in the grill in the husk.  The heat/flames will roast and steam the corn.  Finishes in 10 minutes. Peel the husk away and make  a spread with olive oil and ground coconut.  Amazing.

Portobello Mushroom-  Brush Olive oil or Olive Oil based  dressing on mushroom and grill. Eat like a burger or chop for a salad

FRUIT

Peaches,Nectarines- cut in half and place on grill until grill marks are present/flip and repeat.   Eat alone or with Soy Yogurt or Ice cream

Pineapple- Peel and slice the fruit into disks and grill.  Can be used and a sandwich topping on any burger, veggie burger or even a portobello mushroom

Get creative when you are playing with fire this summer.

1)      Goals   2)  Plans   3)      Steps

We have discussed goals and how to set them.  Now we discuss how to take the path to them.

A properly set goal will write its own plan … with a little expertise may be needed to complete the details.  Now the details of the plan and the steps will help create a goal that is attainable and motivating.

Once the goal is on the calendar  you have a concrete timetable  to create a plan and determine the steps to achieve the goal. With a dated  event- the plan can be created with details broken down by day, week and month to culminate at the event.

Much like eating and elephant- one bite at a time- goals should be broken down in segments. If the goal has a date then it can be broken down in segments. If it is a personal goal , not on any calendar,  pick a target date.

• 1 year goal:  12- 1 month steps, or 4 – 3 month parts,……
• 12 week goal:  12 individual weeks or 4 – 3 week sections, 3 -4 weeks pieces
• weight loss goal: have a date and time and drop a set amount per week

Segmenting allows for babystep progress to limit discouragement as we take time to reach the ultimate goal quickly. Reaching each milestone along the way gives encouragement and fuels further efforts.

-Losing 5 pounds on the way to losing 25 is good step

-walking/running 1 mile around the track is progress on the way to a 5k.

What are your goals?

Do you have a plan(s) to reach them?

What step are you taking NOW ?

The local public library is a treasure trove for anyone who wishes to learn a little bit about walking, running and fitness.  And the price is right.  If you find a book that has good info for you the you can go to a local bookstore and buy a copy to keep and refer to in the future.

You can also pick up a copy of any book and read while on the bike or elliptical trainer at the gym.

www.jmrl.org – The Jefferson Madison Regional Library.

Some books available:

RUNNING

Hanc, John. , The essential runner . 796.42 Hanc

Higdon, Hal. ,The Masters running guide : beyond fitness: how to get in shape to perform, for the best years of your life.  796.426 Higdon

Dreyer, Danny.,ChiRunning : a revolutionary approach to effortless, injury-free running / Danny Dreyer with Katherine Dreyer.     613.717 Dreyer ( a personal fave)

Yelling, Liz. , Woman’s guide to running / Liz Yelling.   796.426 Yelling

Switzer, Kathrine. Running and walking for women over 40 : on the road to sanity and vanity. 613.71 Switzer

WALKING

Fenton, Mark. ,The 90-day fitness walking program   613.71 Fenton

Neporent, Liz. ,Fitness walking for dummies      613.71 Neporent

Meyers, Casey., Walking : a complete guide to the complete exercise   613.71 Meyers

EXERCISE/ FITNESS (books/videos/audios)

Brungardt, Kurt, 1964- ,Essential abs : an intense 6-week program   613.71 Brungardt

Brill, Peggy W. ,The Core Program : fifteen minutes a day that can change your life  613.7 Brill

Jerome, John. , Staying supple    613.7 Jerome ( another personal fave)

Neporent, Liz. , Weight training for dummies    613.713 Neporent

Fun stuff while sweating or sitting at the beach-

Search by the author or title-   My faves include Mark Twain, Tom Clancy, John Steinbeck and many others……

Get learning , THEN GET MOVING.

What can I do when my legs hurt?

A normal and regular problem that larger athletes  have is pain in the legs. Lots of athletes have pain but I am a larger athlete so I am biased. The pain may be the result of overuse(possibly from size or just overtraining ) or actual trauma from a workout or other activities.

Pain can be handled with:
1) R.I.C.E.
2) Stretching
3) Strengthening
4) Dietary adjustments
5) Exercise adjustments -intensity and cross training

1) We have all heard  of Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. This is always helpful when there is pain and inflammation.
2) Stretching is helpful when the pain in muscular or connective tissue related.  Many times a tight joint or muscle will force the body to operate outside of normal- resulting in pain and possibly injury.
3) Occasionally a muscle imbalance or weakness will be the culprit in pain and discomfort. Strengthening the appropriate muscles  will help relieve or eliminate the discomfort.
4) The diet can be looked at in 2 ways A} weight loss may be necessary  and the other often less addressed B} What we eat may be causing the pain- salt, dairy, wheat, sugar….   Many foods cause or increase inflammation in injured areas. C} What we don’t eat/consume can also lead to pain- Sufficient water/hydration
5)  Do more walking instead of running . Walking for 15 minutes run/jog for 5…..Walk/run on Monday, Walk only on Tuesday, Walk/Run on Wed, Ride the bike on Thursday….  Cross training with less impact is another way to maintain fitness (mentally and physically)

Pain is a reminder that we are human and sadly,,, AGING.   Pay attention and adapt to deal with it.  If you are sore follow these or other similar ideas. IF YOU ARE INJURED see a medical pro or take time off . The days of no pain No Gain are gone- pro athletes and Olympians can live that way but we are exercising for life not gold medals or free agent money.

We are lucky to have the opportunity to continue aging and have the chance to make it as graceful as possible

Woke up like the Tin man without the Oil Can.   Stretched, drank water with lemon and got dressed.  I started some exercises to get the blood flowing so I could stretch properly. Easy squats, lunges and on my back some bicycles.

I slowly stretched the legs, butt and back. Then did some bridges to loosen my back and neck and began to feel human.

Took off walking and after about 5 minutes I felt my legs  loosen up. I increased the pace and the legs responded well. I have learned from , slow painful experience, that this was not the day to push it so I slowed down for
1o minutes and then picked up the pace again. Felt OK but got some twinges, none were severe nor unusual but I eventually backed off and walked for the  final 10 minutes.

I cooled down and stretched and did some exercises ( push-ups, squats, lunges  and crab/bear walks). I did a pretty good total body stretching routine- lots of yoga based moves.
Walking works and can get the heart up to speed  with less stress on the knees/legs every day.

Made it home  ate, showered and started the day full of fire to get things done.

Now that summer is approaching and the City market (Farmers market) is hopping,

This salad uses great goodies from the market and a few from produce section at the local market.

AVOCADO-BEAN SALAD

2 avocados (diced)

1 large red onion ( diced

1 bunch of green onions[6-8] ( chopped fine)

1 bulb garlic, 6-7 cloves (smashed/chopped)

1 bunch cilantro (chopped fine)

1/4 up chives (chopped)

1 green bell pepper (diced

1 red bell pepper ( diced)

1 yellow pepper (diced)

1 finely chopped jalapeno pepper (more /less to taste)

Juice from 2 limes

3 Tbs  Extra Virgina Olive oil

1 can Black beans (no salt/ drained)

Combine all ingredients. Store in Fridge for 2 hours.

Serve alone or put over a plate of your favorite greens. Can also be used as a salsa.

This is an amazing and refreshing combination.

1)      Goals   2)      Plans 3)      Steps

We have discussed goals and how to set them.  Now we discuss how to Get them.

A properly set goal will write its own plan … with a little expertise may be needed to complete the details.

How to Make a Goal Plan?

PLANS

Once the goals have been set with details a plan to achieve them is needed.  Possessing specific goals with tangible measures makes this stage a little easier.

Research or assistance may be necessary at this stage.

Read a book, go to a website(s), talk to a coach, counselor, trainer or appropriate expert.

Then create the plan with specific, measurable, realistic and timed/dated steps to follow.

Examples-

GOAL= Run a race, Plan will detail how much to walk run on day one, 2, 3, 4….. up until the race. It will also have specifics on eating, drinking, stretching, resting….

GOAL- Lose weight (specific- 25 #), what to eat this week, when to eat, how much, how much exercise, when, how often to get on scale

The plans or programs can be weekly, daily or even more specific and broken down. Having a written map to follow with steps to take gives us motivation and can be useful especially when we fall off the “horse” and need to jump back on it.

SPECIFIC -  The goals should spell out the target, the endpoint with  specific language addressing when, where, how much …. This can be in a series of specific milestones in the direction of the ultimate goal.

MEASURABLE – The specificity allows for easy measurement. Goal to lose 45 pounds, step on the scale to see a starting point and  progress;then make a plan to lose weight in a reasonable and healthy fashion. If the goal is  to participate in a Walkathon- then create the plan to build ability and  track progress. Having a specific date goal allows for planning with a timetable.

REALISTIC -  The realism of a goal must take account of time as well as ability.  At 6′8 300 lbs I will never be a jockey but I can run an ultramarathon or long triathlon- I just need a well thought out plan and schedule to reach the goal.   maybe 50k or 50 miles within 5 months but 100 miler is a tear or more away.

TIMED-   Much has already been noted about the timing aspect.  This is when I WILL DO THIS THING.   These are the milestone dayes or steppin stones along the way.

Being the old fart I am….

I like almost no music since 1984 (college  senior year)- this includes folks like Aerosmith, Stones, Bruce and others that have significant pre-84 careers.

The Weight   The Band

Devil Went Down to Georgia    Charlie Daniels Band

A Quick One While He’s Away     The Who

Thank God I am a Country Boy  John Denver

and of course

Free Bird   Lynyrd Skynyrd

Personal rule for my music taste- If the artist is younger then any of my knee surgery scars-  I eliminate.

I know this cuts me off from great stuff- and maybe I will change but right now……..

“What song is it you wanna hear    - – - – - –        FREE BIRD !!!!!!  “