Healthy Boss, Healthy Employees - A Culture of Fitness

Chances are... you recently returned from having fun outdoors testing your abilities on your bike, board, skis, or hands and feet. You schedule long weekend rides with your friends, plan an upcoming winter snow trip to Mammoth, or looking into a cool summer kayak trip. You read up on nutrition and what gear is lighter or more comfortable. You exercise on the weekday too squeezing a workout around meetings or making time at the end of your day for a run or surf session. Changes are...you probably have something in your car from your last workout be it energy bar wrapper, running shoes, or sand from the beach. You, my friend, represent 30% of the American population that makes exercise a regular part of your day.

70% of the population lacks this lifestyle which is a shame because they are missing a rich part of life. The reasons so many people don't stay active is they don't know where to start and they think it takes a lot of time (which is kind of true, but more on that later). Motivation, energy level, and peer culture are all big factors that determine one's commitment to exercise. If you own a company or are a director, the health of your employees can hurt your bottom line with the steady rise in health costs. In the corporate world, a majority of employees don't exercise if they feel that the culture is not conducive to health and wellness. They feel they will be ridiculed for working out instead of working straight thru the day.

Being a boss (or an influential co-worker) can be a powerful tool to get people to exercise. They look up to you for guidance and judge you on how you spend your day. You workout and stay fit and they get the message: Health and Exercise are important. Like karma, the health benefits of exercise will have pay-offs for your co-workers and employees and come back to you. They will not only feel better and notice their bodies change, they will also be more alert, productive, and have an improved sense of self. You know how good you feel when fresh air flows on your face, your clothes are wet from your hard work, and your heart is pounding. Help those around you and you will see them change. If that doesn't work, tell them that people who exercise regularly have a better sex life!

Here are some ideas and tips to get your employees, team, and co-workers movin:

1. Be a role model. Show that a workout during your workday is OKAY. A 20-40 minute run can give you a new persceptive on a problem and give you energy for your day.

2. Promote a team activity together - sign up for a fun 5K walk/run and do it with them (don't kick their ass either). Take it one more level up and make it a charity event and donate your time or food for a better cause.

3. Take your meetings outside - turn weekly meetings to walking meetings, conference calls to walking calls, brainstorming session to surf session. Getting outside lets you enjoy the fresh air, sun, and nature. It also gives you and your co-worker/staff opportunity to exercise. If you like numbers, wear a pedometer and track your steps. Aim for 5000-7000 steps a day.

4. Meet your team at a yoga class or spin class. Choose an activity and invite them to a weekly class. They might feel goofy at first but then they will like the change.

5. Order healthy food – meetings littered with sweets and foods that give you a short burst of energy followed by drop in blood sugars doesn't promote health or good food for your brain. Fresh fruit and nuts are good finger foods without spiking your blood sugars. Or try hummus with fresh vegetables. And if your team always go out to lunch on Fridays, look for healthier restaurants.

Getting people to get movin' can be a bit tough, but keeping it fun and simple is the key. Know that if they get out there and walk for 15 mintues that it is like you catching waves for an hour. Be patient with your peer but keep them accountable. Give them tips for success such as packing your bag the night before and having a healthy snack (half PB&J) 90 minutes before their workout. About that time commitment... it is true that you need to spend about 5 hours a week to get the weight off, but the fun and improved lifestyle they will experience will be a great start to more positive changes.

Go get 'em boss!
Chi

(pictured above: Brendan, owner of The Hub Cyclery, promotes riding by leading weekly rides from his shop.)

Will Race For Beer

Racing has a unique way of defining you as an athlete and as a person. I wasn't always sucha strong competitor but after completing my first mountain bike racing season as Expert, I look back at how much racing has molded me into the athlete and person I want to become. It is an arena to become a better rider – nimble and light on the descents, strong and steady on the climbs, and smart on the nutrition. I won’t race forever: one day I will fill my calendar with my own picks & favorite trails rather than US Cup # (enter a number); but while the fire is burning and the passion is there, I will race and race hard.

Be careful with overtraining!
I was getting faster with every ride; so I rode more, hoping to get faster. Only to find that I was sick and my energy was severely dampened. Manage your energy and stop while you’re ahead. You know you’re overtraining when you ride and your legs hurt after your warm-up. They should feel fresh and your breathing smooth.

Ditch the camelback!
The camelback was like my blankie and it had everything I thought I needed. But when it came to racing, it's about being lite. What I REALLY needed on a 15-25 mile ride was a tube, CO2, a gu and a bottle of water. The only other time I used my camelback was during Downieville when I needed both hands on the bars during the descents. Although, there were a few moments I could have drank from a bottle…note taken for next year.

Stay focused!
There were obstacles that could have slowed me down or made me think I couldn’t ride hard. There are obstacles IN LIFE that make you question your ideas, your abilities, and your values. Believe in yourself. Staying focused on the task (call it a race, a goal, your life) is challenging because distractions and doubt can steal your vision. Nuture your goals and recommit your focus -- this focus is powerful. Whether it is a break up, worse day of my period, and an upset stomach (all on the same day), you still have to race. What are you going to do about it? What does it take to break you? Excuses give you an easy out; but challenges can make you find a stronger side that is waiting to be exposed. Once the race starts and you got your groove, fatigue seeps into your muscles and your head and start a downward spiral. Keep your focus! Breathe… when you can hone your focus, you transport to a kind of surreal, dream-like feeling. When I race, I tell myself “Winners don’t whine” or “soon you’ll be sitting with a cold beer and won’t feel any of the pain” . When all else fails, PEDAL, PEDAL, PEDAL!

What’s a kit?!
Team leader, Derek Harmon, brought me a kit the day before the first race at Sagebrush. I’m thinking “what the heck is a kit?”. Soon I realized that your racing outfit is your kit - dah! I was reluctant to wear the tight shorts (XS? REALLY?!) but after racing in ‘my kit’ I realized that they do the job of keeping clothing out of your way. I acquired a new Lazer helmet that is feather-weight and super cool glasses that have changeable lenses.

The power of protein, electrolytes, and water!
How, when, and what you feed yourself 24/7 is essential to training and racing. The closer you pay attention to your hydration, protein, and veggies, the more power you get. I added a shake in the morning that has 20 grams of protein and shit-load of fruit, added some lean steak on my salad, ate more fish, took omega-3 oils, added super green powder to my drinks/smoothies. Alcohol intake subsided and was substituted for water. Stopped my Wednesday night ice cream treats and substituted plain greek yogurt with fresh fruit. Started using Hammer’s Recoverlite after my hard rides. On average, I drank 4 liters of water a day. I ate and drank to ride and then I ate and drank to recover.

Train hard, train smart!
Every workout, no matter how good or bad I might have felt, was like a deposit into the ‘race hard fund’. But on those rides where I was committed to the training, I made huge gains. I started to tailor my workouts depending on the race coming up – short and fast, long hills, technical descents. I added more pushups and pull-ups for Downieville and long hill repeats for Big Bear race. Ahhh…and then there’s yoga like a dear, loyal friend. My yoga practice has improved my upper body and core strength with arm balancing poses. Yoga is about non-attachment and not worrying about how good you look, it’s about your breath and how you feel and being absolutely present. My mind would wander and I would bring it back to the present. This training, helped me keep my focus during my riding….one breath at a time.

Next year...
more strength training – core for balance and strength, stronger legs for the climbs, stronger upper body for the descents. Adding road biking to the training schedule in the off-season. My own floor pump – hand pump and CO2s aren’t cutting it. Finally, arm and leg warmers would be nice.

I must give proper credit to – Derek of Bear Valley Bikes who helped me ditch the camelback, reassured me before major races, helped me with the fancy helmet and gear, and with race day logistics. My riding buddies (Craig & Binh - pictured left) for showing me the lines and keeping it real. My buddies (Orange & Gimpy) at work for kicking my ass. Super K for reinforcing all that I read about mental training and how key it is to having a successful race. My family who made sure I came home safe after every race.

Every time I get on my bike, it is a treat. I get a unique opportunity to encounter the world around me in a language I understand. It cures my concerns, shows me solutions, retraces the beautiful gifts I have in life, and makes me feel so grateful. At the end of the day, a race is a race; take the good and the bad and learn. Have fun along the way.

Now...how about that cold beer?

Chi

Climbing Mt. Whitney - step two: training

Mt. Whitney lies 14,505 feet above sea level and every year, thousands make it a goal to reach the peak. The Whitney trail is a 22-mile out and back hike with over 7000 feet of elevation gain. Training to hike Mt. Whitney on the surface may appear to be simple enough - get some food, good shoes, and let's go! I sheepishly remember my first trip that started off so well - I was in excellent shape, in my early 20's, and loved being outside. That first attempt left me puking along the trail about a dozen times until I finally got my sorry ass to the bottom. You don't get rescued from altitude sickness.

I have since successfully climbed Mt. Whitney three times and I have learned plenty on what TO DO and what NOT TO DO. The following information has helped me lead two groups up Whitney with a 80% success rate (more on that 20% in a bit).

CHALLENGES TO CLIMBING MT. WHITNEY-

1. Permit will dictate your pace. It is hard to get a two-day permit and you may end up with a one day permit. You will need to prepare your body to do the whole 22-mile trek in 12-16 hours. (3% of those who attempted were too slow and didn't make the cut off time).

2. Hard on knees - all that descending is hard on your knees especially if you are predisposed to knee problems. You will need to calculate how much climbing you will want to do. The challenge in climbing Mt. Whitney is not just the 11 mile climb; it's the 11 mile climb down. Having a parachute has crossed my mind. (Another 10% was from bad knees.) Hiking poles is a smart choice to help you reach the peak and that beer at the end.

3. You are the pack mule - carry your water and be ready to refuel. Be smart on your packing and know your gear.

4. The big one - Altitude sickness. Some get it worse than others and fitness level is not a predictor of how you will respond; hence my puke fest the first time up. (Last 7% was from altitude sickness)

TRAINING - Give yourself 2-3 months to train. Upon receiving notice that you got a permit (YAHOO!!), set up a calendar with your friends and be sure everyone is committed to the hikes. When I train people, if they don't come to the training hikes, they don't get to hike Mt. Whitney. Period. Also, start to gather your gear & smart, lite clothes. To see of items to carry with you, check out my One-day pack blog from September 2010

First Month - spend the weekends hiking 8-12 miles working on pace and stamina. Wear your pack, shoes, and clothes that you plan to bring with you on your trip. It may seem silly that you fill up your entire water bladder for a 4-hour hike. You will be thankful that you learned about an issue on ...a 4-hour hike vs. an 8-hour hike. Get comfortable with the size & weight of the pack as well as where you like your stuff to go (e.g. camera, chap stick, headphones). You may discover that your pack hurts your back, your shoes suck, you get blisters, cotton vs. smart fabrics, you need hiking poles, you don't like beef jerky but you like PB&J's, etc.

Hiking schedule - The local mountains in San Diego offer the distance and elevation change to start off your training. There are a handful of trails that give you 8-12 miles of hiking and 2000-4000 feet of elevation gain. Sample schedule - Iron Mtn (8 miles; 2,696 foot peak), Mt. Woodson (8.7 miles with steep sections), Mt. Baldy** altitude hike (12 miles, 4000 feet of elevation gain, 10,084 peak).

During the week, work on your cardiovascular endurance with running, fast walking, and stair climbing for a minimum of 30 minutes but aim for 45-60 minutes, three times a week. This cardio will build your base for intervals next month. Add strength training into your training with squats & lunges (compliment with chest, back, and core) two times a week. Both strength training and high-intensity endurance training help train the muscles to deal with anaerobic situations.

Second Month - Continue your training with longer hikes, steeper terrain, and another hefty altitude hike. You should be comfortable with the weight of your pack and shoes. (Planning Logistics - for the longer hikes in the mountains, get all the maps and directions the night before and plan to leave San Diego at 5am so you can start the hike by 7am. Though San Diego is often under a blanket of marine layer, the mountains are hot and it is best to get to the peak before it gets too hot. Training for the heat is not part of preparing you for Mt.Whitney; just part of the package.) Get creative with your meal planning. You will be on the trail for 5-8 hours and those bars will start loosing their appeal. Instead, go for real food like last night's pizza, sub sandwich, PB&J, peach's in a cup (personal favorite). You will want a combination of complex carbs, protein, and fat. I actually like to think of something sweet, salty, crunchy, & something with chocolate.

Hiking Schedule -

San Jacinto via of Marion Mtn** (PERMIT REQUIRED) - 11 miles, 6700' elevation gain, 10,834' peak - this climb is particularly steep and a good test of what the change of altitude does to you. Work on slowing your pace a bit and deep belly breathing. I particularly don't like lots of stops because the muscles and breathing lose their rhythm - steady pace works well.

Mission Trails - nothing too exciting except that you can get a lot of miles. Goal for this hike is steady pace of 15 miles in 5 hours.

San Gorgonio** (PERMIT REQUIRED) - 16 miles, 5419' elevation gain, 11,499 peak, 6-8 hours. Practice with food and test your water purifier on this trail. Again work on pacing and breathing - you may catch yourself only doing shallow breathing. Work on breathing thru your diaphragm.

Once every couple of weeks, challenge your cardiovascular endurance with intervals by running up a hill for 1-3 minutes at an intense pace and then allow yourself to recover before repeating 3-4 more times. Add some more weight to those lunges and squats.

Final Month of Training - Just to clarify - climbing at altitude won't actually acclimatize you. You need to live in that altitude for days, weeks, or (for some)months to actually get the physiologically changes to enable you to function with lower levels of oxygen. However, hiking at altitude will give you a look at how your body responds. Slowing your pace and breathing smooth are both effective tools to improve your chances.

Hiking schedule -

Big Bear - 10+ miles. Get yourself up to Big Bear at 8000 feet. There are plenty of trails that interweave and offer beautiful views.

San Jacinto via Humber Park (PERMIT REQUIRED)- 16 miles, 4,384' elevation, 10,834' peak, 8 hours. Reach the peak using a different trail. It is longer but the elevation gain is a bit more forgiving.

Each training hike will give you precious experiences to prepare you for the actual Mt. Whitney climb. Learn from your mistakes and your friends mistakes.

Climbing Mt. Whitney - step three: wake up at 3am....More on the final days of preparation.

Remember to stop and smell the pine trees.

Chi