Monday, November 19, 2007

"When you feel like hope is gone, look inside you and be strong and you'll finally see the truth---that a hero lies in you." --Mariah Carey

Multi-Sport Symposium with Scott Tinley (Indianapolis-November 17, 2007)

Indianapolis Multi-Sport Symposium November 17, 2007
Scott Tinley, two-time Hawaii Ironman Champ, author, & teacher: Keynote speaker.
As a presenter at the symposium, I had the pleasure of getting to know Scott, one of my first sport heroes in the early days of triathlon. He signed my first racing bike (a bright yellow Tinley Tri-lite). Here we are on a "ride" together. Drafting at it's best--! Scott has written several books, including his latest two: "Racing the Sunset" and "Things to be Survived: Tales of Resolution and Resurrection.
www.scotttinley.com.

Monday, November 5, 2007

Fit Tech!


Vern LaMere, M.S., F.I.S.T.
FitTech, Inc.

FitTech, Inc. is based out of in Indianapolis Indiana. It is a company dedicated to improving the overall performance of Cyclists, Triathletes, Duathletes, and Runners. This is accomplished through these key services: Precision Dynamic Bicycle Fitting, Performance Testing, and individualized Multi-Sport Coaching. You do not need to be high-end to take advantage of these high-end services. Individuals of All Ability Levels are welcome and can benefit from FitTech's services. Everyone is treated as World Class!

Vern LaMere, owner of FitTech, Inc. holds a Master of Science Degree in Exercise Physiology-Human Performance from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse. His primary areas of study and research were Lactate Threshold and Multi-Sport Training and Performance (Running, Cycling, Triathlon/Duathlon). Prior to starting FitTech in November of 2003, he was the Director of the Human Performance Lab at the National Institute for Fitness and Sport where he worked for 13 years. At NIFS he conducted research and carried out physiological testing including Body Composition Analysis, VO2 max and Blood Lactate Threshold testing, Running Form Analysis, and Dynamic Comprehensive Bike Fitting. He also conducted several multi-sport training and testing symposiums (Triathlon/Duathlon).

Vern has been a competitive multi-sport athlete for over 25 years. This experience in combination with his educational background gives him the unique ability to help individuals achieve their true athletic potential. He enjoys the challenge of assisting any athlete - regardless of ability level – to improve and achieve their goals. Vern is a Certified USA Triathlon Coach and a F.I.S.T. Certified Triathlon/Time Trial Bike Sizing Specialist. He has attended numerous workshops and conferences on the art and science of triathlon coaching, training and racing, including symposiums on the science of cycling and bike fitting. Vern’s Dynamic Bike Fit process was recently featured in Triathlete Magazine.

FitTech carries out its mission with three key services:

Precision Dynamic Bike Fitting
FitTech utilizes state-of-the-art Dartfish motion analysis software to carry out the DYNAMIC bike fit service. This comprehensive service optimizes comfort, power, efficiency, and targets injury prevention and treatment Other bike fitting services include real time computer display of pedaling efficiency, cleat positioning and wedge placement to correct for foot canting and leg-knee misalignment, DYNAMIC bike sizing for stock and custom frames.

Performance Testing
FitTech offers Lactate Threshold testing to dial in your training zones for heart race, pace and power (Watts) and Running Form Analysis (utilizing Dartfish) to help you become faster, more efficient, and reduce chance of running-related injuries.

Indvidualized Coaching
This service is for the individual who wants to take the guesswork out of their training. Training programs follow a proven method of periodization which takes athletes through various phases of training: Aerobic base building, Intensity building, Peaking and Recovery. Whether you’re a novice or expert, having a personal coach will take your training and racing to new heights!

For more information or to set up an appointment Call 317-491-5025, or e-mail, vern@fittechbylamere.com visit FitTech’s website at www.fittechbylamere.com

Saturday, November 3, 2007

Self-Esteem Workshops

"The state of your life is nothing more than a reflection of your state of mind." Wayne Dyer
Self-esteem has been defined by the National Association for Self-esteem as "the experience of being capable of meeting life's challenges and being worthy of happiness." People who have healthy or authentic self-esteem trust their own being to be life-affirming, constructive, responsible, and trustworthy.
Cheryl conducts Self-concept & Self-esteem workshops for women of all ages and Mothers & Daughters. Learn how to celebrate being "Uniquely You" by ridding yourself of false knowledge and unwanted baggage. Book a session at your school, organization or a private workshop at 2nd Wind Motivation.

Saturday, March 24, 2007

Out of the Darkness & Into the Light


Kick-Off Meeting - January 7, 2007

“RUNNING OUT OF THE DARKNESS AND INTO THE LIGHT”
BEGINS JANUARY 15TH, 2007 6:30 a.m. SENECA PARK
Followed by Coffee 7:30 a.m at Panera Bread on Breckenridge Lane

Purpose: To establish and market a walking/running program and club for women to enhance their health and self-esteem, implementing theories and practices. Each participant will be encouraged to establish her own specific goal and will work toward it with the support of other women.

Why darkness? Women will meet before dawn to walk or run together because:
• Running out of the darkness into the light has a symbolic quality to it. It is a reminder that no matter how dark the situation in life may seem, it’s important to just find the strength to take the next step. The sun will come up again and life is there waiting to be embraced.
• Darkness hides any insecurity women might have about body image.
• Darkness will force these women to focus only on the next step, to stay fully in the moment and not worry about things they can’t see in the distance.
• Darkness allows free flowing thoughts, whether in their own mind or sharing conversation with others with whom they share the road.
• There is something empowering and rejuvenating to run into dawn, arriving home as the coffee is brewing, knowing that others are just getting out of bed.
• These women will start their day with something positive. It will be their gift to themselves.
• When dawn breaks, these women will be reminded of the blessing of yet another day.


Potential Goals: My goal is to establish this club first in Louisville, Lexington, and Knoxville, and gradually expand the program nationwide. Louisville has a Kentucky Derby Festival “Triple Crown of Running” that attracts thousands of walkers and runners each year. Beginning January 15, the distances will increase gradually, preparing the women for the upcoming events, if they choose to participate. The first event is 3.1 miles and they continue up until the final leg, which is either a half-marathon or full marathon. Some may choose to walk or run the longer events as a relay team.

Additional support: A series of lectures will be held every other Sunday from 2- 3 p.m at St. Matthews Baptist Church on Grandview Avenue in the Hannah Room.
(COST: $10 per lecture)
LECTURE SCHEDULE:
*JANUARY 7: FREE Intro Meeting (Philosophy,benefits of program and quality of life)
*JANUARY 21: Motivation & the importance of setting clear, specific goals
*FEBRUARY 4: Proper Form, bio-mechanics, injury prevention (wear running clothes)
(Bridgid Mahan with Orthopaedic Motion & Sport Physical Therapy, Inc. will join me)
*FEBRUARY 18: Training With Your Head (less is more & importance of recovery days)
*MARCH 4: Exercise adherence,behavior change,accountability partners/support network
*MARCH 18: Self-concept & Self-esteem
*APRIL 1: Nutrition: Body & Soul
*APRIL 15: Final meeting: "Passing the Torch"... Now what?

Conclusion: A questionnaire will be distributed at the end of April to determine if and how this club and the commitment to exercise enhanced the quality of life (self-esteem, body image, energy levels, personality, ability to handle stress, and other factors) for the women involved.

Saturday, March 3, 2007

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Friday, February 2, 2007

"Running With All Your Heart"

“The Runner’s Path”
By Cheryl D. Hart
February Issue : Kentuckiana HealthFitness Magazine

“Your rewards in life will be in direct proportion to the contribution you make.”
---Anthony Robbins

Valentine’s Day brings out the loving and giving spirit in most of us. This time of year, Hallmark proves there is a basic human need for positive affirmations. This holds true in running, as we can each recall a time when someone offered an encouraging word to help us rise above self-doubt, pushing us to our full potential. Sometimes it’s simply a spectator’s empathetic look or a friendly wave during a difficult and lonely long run.
I asked runners from across the country to share their memories. I was touched by the outpouring of stories and reminded again how a simple kindness can make a huge difference in another’s life.
Kirby Adams of WHAS Team Crusade, shared that when she first started running, Peggy Kokernaut took her from “a know-nothing, running in a bathing suit and sneakers” and turned her into a runner. She remembers Peggy as the most generous human being she has ever known.
“It wasn’t coaching or anything like that, but just pure kindness, fun and encouragement,” recalls Adams. “Her spirit is what I have in turn tried to pass on the teams I work with in Louisville.”
Adams also remembers that when she was single and racing bicycles, she wore tight Lycra suits. Her maiden name was Oliver. A little boy would always come out and cheer for her. After awhile, Kirby realized that he wasn’t yelling, “Go Kirby Oliver” but “Go curvy all-over.” This was not only encouraging but also made her laugh each time she passed him.
Joe Nail reflects on the time when he was suffering side stitches during the final run leg of the National Duathlon Championships.
“A 61-year old man from Texas spoke with me for the duration of the race, where I was giving up and planning to finish walking, and he encouraged me to keep running,” he recalls. “I placed somewhere around 20th but you know I was passed by many who never uttered a word.”
Usually when someone impacts our life, we are more apt to want to pass the kindness on to someone else. Most of the runners who shared their stories believe in the importance of helping other runners because of how much the support meant to them.
“When I started running marathons in college, I had (and still have) the best fan club ever,” said Kristen Harvey, a six-time marathoner. “My friends always do something amazing like sneak in my room and fill it with balloons and streamers saying, ‘You can do it under 4 hours’ or ‘You’re amazing.’ Sometimes they make T-shirts that say, ‘Kristen’s Fan Club’ and plot out the course to figure how many spots they can hit to cheer me on. I think they usually get more of a workout than me. They’re the best friends ever. They have motivated me to keep running and in return I have motivated some of them to start running.”
Debbie LaMarche’s best memory was a simple “thumbs up” gesture from a very old man who looked to be in his 80’s. He came out on the porch and when he signaled, she wondered if he used to race himself years ago.
Likewise, Ken Jackson believes that the most meaningful part of his running has been more from people being there than what was said---the people he has met, with whom he shared the road.
“The miles melt away so fast when you are out there with someone,” says Jackson. “They may have been a few yards or a few miles ahead, but they were out there. We may not have been speaking or saying a whole lot, but the melting of souls on the street was more meaningful than words can express. These days when I run by myself, I fondly remember some of those wonderful runs with my friends. A smile will come over my face and I know that they are with me. Even though they are thousands of miles away, they have given me so much inspiration and encouragement that I will be forever grateful.”
Dave Laumeyer shares his memory of the last lap of a Duathlon when he wanted to stop. His girlfriend, who had driven three hours to cheer him on, told him he looked great and helped to motivate him and push him to continue. On the bike leg, he recalls looking down at the top tube to read the decal “Just for Justin” posted in loving memory of his best friend Justin Jewell, who had a passion for running but was diagnosed with Rhabdosarcoma, passing away just one year later. Racing in memory of him keeps Laumeyer strong through all his training.
Susan Bradley-Cox remembers running in Ironman Hawaii years ago when she began to fade at the turn-around point.
“I must have mumbled that I was struggling and was not sure I could finish,” she reflects. “The Pro-triathlete I was running with off and on, told me to dig deep and keep going and that I would make it. I kept repeating those words and I did make it.”
While running his first marathon, the Marine Corp, Gerry Barker remembers looking for his family, stationed at the midway point.
“When I heard and saw my 17-year old daughter at mile 13, my eyes filled with tears of joy,” he said. “I ran over and ‘high-fived’ her then kept going a few yards where I saw my wife and sister-in-law. I got a big charge from that, but the best was yet to come at mile 23. There I saw my wife and daughter enthusiastically yelling amongst the crowd. But when I spied my brother and Mom, I ran over and gave her a big hug. I was so excited that my family came to watch me run, along with the thousands of other spectators. It’s so cool when the people you love support your races.”
Tim Yount also remembers the strength of family support at the state track meet his junior year of high school.
“I was starting our 4 X 800 meter relay team,” says Yount. “As I was setting up in our blocks, I heard my dad yell at me something very simple yet effective, ‘make us proud son.’ I remember smiling to myself knowing that any performance that I considered my best would qualify just knowing my parents. It was strange because we were in a huge stadium and the only comment I remember hearing was my dad. The gun sounded a minute later. It has been 25 years but I still recall the impact that had on my race. I ran my personal best and we won the state title with a record setting time that stood for a decade.”
What Yount doesn’t know is how countless athletes from Team USA responded that he, as team manager, was their greatest encourager. Year after year, he cheered us on by name, as enthusiastically for the stragglers as for the front-runners, making each person believe they were a significant part of the team.
Anne Ellacott’s memory is of the Gulf Coast Half-Ironman---where at 107 degrees, hot steam was coming off the asphalt.
“I was slowly petering,” she says in retrospect. “About mile 5, a very tall guy came up beside me on the run. Each of his steps was easily two or three of mine. I told him that I wasn’t feeling well and that my stomach was a mess from the heat and swallowing salt water. He started talking to me and never stopped, helping me hold a steady 7:15 pace all the way. With a mile left, I suggested picking up the pace and he agreed. I looked for him at the finish but never found him. Without him that day, I would never have been able to keep going. I was 2nd in my age group, only a minute behind the leader. I will never know if that was really an angel or just a great man, but he saved my life.”
In Awaken the Giant Within, Anthony Robbins says that “only those who have learned the power of sincere and selfless contribution experience life’s deepest joy: true fulfillment.” He urges that “instead of looking for heroes, we should become one.”
Never-the-less, David Gassman considers his running partner, Jamie Weedman, a hero. Jamie is blind and his efforts inspire everyone they pass, and motivate Gassman to pick up the pace. He also enjoys cheers from the man dressed as Superman at mile five of the Mini-Marathon, as well as from all the spectators along the way.
“Understanding that it is difficult to be a spectator at a road race, is maybe why the encouragement from the spectators and volunteers is heard and appreciated by us runners,” he says. “We know “it’s a running thing… they might not understand’ but they cheer for us anyway.”
I have always believed my life purpose was to encourage and inspire others to be the best they can be. A reaffirmation came unexpectedly while working on this column from two women I’ve coached in the past.
Wanda Karia said, “Constant encouragement and support from fellow triathletes is the rule and not the exception and a big part of why I love the sport so much. Seeing you when I came out of the water at Buckeye Challenge, hearing the cowbell and your reminders to keep my head up and breath on the run are just a few examples of how you have helped me. And the rubber ducky (he sings and dances “Splish Splash”) at Seneca Park in the downpour is also a special memory.”
And finally, Sylvia Kamp shared, “I was not much of a high school runner but there was a coach from Centre College who recruited me to run. Throughout the entire time I ran for her, she always led me to believe that I could be a successful runner.
Unfortunately, I only had the chance to run for her one year, but it was perhaps the most important year to have her as a coach,” said Kamp. “Not only did I have a successful freshman year, but I learned that running can and should be enjoyable. Ten years later, that coach is the reason I am the person that I am. I am now a collegiate coach myself, hoping to provide the same inspiration and memories to other collegiate runners. In my “spare time” I am very realistically training for the Olympic Trials in the marathon. This is from someone who refused to run the 3200 meter in high school because it was too long. No words can express how much Coach Cheryl Hart means to me.”
This was her gift to me.
Coincidently I glanced at my horoscope today, and found: “While your earnings are how you make a living, your contributions are how you make a life. Pay more attention to the latter now.” In summary, let’s remember Goethe’s teaching: “Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being.”

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

The ITL Group ... "It'll Be Alright"



Fun at Panera after the run!

Thursday, January 11, 2007