COACH CYNDEE

I wanted to touch on fueling for an event but I am not going to go into detail about how many calories and what type of calories or sports drinks you should be consuming.  There are so many articles out there about what to take and how much to take during a race.  As a coach I always tell my clients to practice what they are going to fuel with during their training leading up to the event.  I give them suggestions and tell them to try a few different sports drinks because each person is different and what works for me may not necessarily work for someone else.  Once I give them a few suggestions I make sure to tell them to practice with what they are using during their long workouts.  I'll ask them how their fueling went during training and often they say great.  Then as we get closer to the race often they tell me they are going to try something else because someone told them about a different product.  I don't suggest anyone change what they are do...

One of the hardest parts of training for a race is balancing it all.  Balancing training, work and family can sometimes be tough.  I try and make sure people know what they are getting into when they say they want to sign up for a race.  As a coach I want everyone to go into a race as prepared as they can. When people struggle to get all the workouts done I understand its hard but the reality is they signed up for the race.   I try and lay in all out there up front so there is no surprises when they see their training schedule.  Inevitably it becomes hard for many people to manage it all.  Before you sign up for any event ask yourself some questions: How much time can I reasonably dedicate to training per week?   Is that enough time for the event you're signing up for?  If your answer is 7 hours a week then its probably not likely you should sign up for an Ironman.  How well do I want to perform at this event?  Just finish? ...

Last year I ran the Comrades Ultra Marathon in South Africa.  That race required a qualifying marathon to be completed by the end of April.  My boyfriend and I decided to run the Revel Mount Charleston race because we didn’t want to travel and we got into i t at the last minute.  I didn’t plan to qualify for the Boston Marathon but I did and I did with 15 minutes to spare.  I was pretty excited since I hadn’t done Boston and it’s a bucket list race for most runners.  I was looking forward to the Boston Marathon even though I wasn’t 100% prepared.  I knew I could do the distance but hadn’t done much speed work so I didn’t expect to have my fastest time.  I wanted to enjoy my time in Boston and enjoy the race.  I was looking forward to experiencing all the iconic things I had heard about like Heartbreak Hill, Newton Hills, and the Wellesley Girls.   A few weeks before the race, I was honored to become a part of a team representin...

We Did It……and it was so much FUN! I must admit I haven’t been doing anything serious as far as working out since June of last year when I completed the Comrades marathon.   I have not been a couch potato and have ben doing some exercise daily just nothing extreme like I am usually doing.   I took time to let my body recover and I rested my hip so the tendonitis would go away.   In October I started increasing my running and completed a half marathon with my dog at the end of November.   I’ve done lots of big races such as Ironman races and Ultra Marathons but this little half marathon with my dog was one of the most rewarding.   She is a rescue and it was the year anniversary of the day that I adopted her.   She did amazing and I was so proud of her and how much progress she has made recovering from an abusive past. Half Marathon I decided that I wanted to run a 30K with her, she is young and seems like she can run forever.   I signed u...

Believe it or not the average person only gains a few pounds during the holiday season.  I think people may feel like they gain more because they may feel less fit or less healthy since they may be working out less or maybe not making healthy choices when it comes to their diet.  Maybe they are not necessarily eating a lot more calories but the calories they are eating may not be as nutritionally dense.  So here are a few tips to stay on track and avoid feeling bloated and out of shape after the holiday season. Try not to skip workouts.  If you are crunched for time shorten your workout rather than skipping it.  Another option is to break up your workout into two smaller workouts in one day.   Always have a good salad or vegetable with your meal.  This will fill you up with lots of fiber and vitamins and you may eat less of the not so healthy food. If you are going to a party don't go hungry.  Have a healthy meal or snack before you go. ...

Most of you know my love for essential oils.   For the past few years I have made my wonderful recovery salts which contain unique blends of essential oils and I combine the oils with dead sea salt and epsom salt.   I use essential oils in my massage practice all the time.   I decided to make my own muscle recovery salve.   I guarantee it is the best salve for sore muscles that you have ever tried.   Below is the list of ingredients along with an explanation of their benefits. I am initially selling 2oz tins for $12 and keep in mind because of the great list of ingredients A LITTLE goes a LONG way! Ingredients: birch, cinnamon leaf, clove bud, eucalyptus, lavender, nutmeg, wintergreen, peppermint, juniper berry, arnica, camphor, menthol, lemon, rosemary, cocoa butter, red thyme, shea butter, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, tea tree, galbanum, mixed tocopherols,, beeswax.   Birch :   Birch oil is helpful in reducing pain in the joints and mu...

I am not a competitive swimmer but I am a triathlete and I do flip turns when I swim.   I also tell the clients I coach that they should do flip turns. They always say to me they don’t have flip turns in a triathlon.   I realize that but it still provides many benefits to your swim in the pool and open water to learn how to do flip turns.   Most people can do them and if they can’t it doesn’t take too long to learn.   The reason most people don’t like to do them is they feel as if they can’t recover from it and get enough air back to continue to swim.   It takes a bit of time to build your lung capacity to feel comfortable doing them.   At first it may seem like more work but once you build your lung capacity you will never want to go back to the touch and go method of swimming.   You will get comfortable doing them consistently in a week or so.   It just takes persistence.      Here are some reasons doing flip turns will hel...