Winter Fitness Guide

Winter for most means spending a good deal of time indoors and out of the elements. The cold weather and shorter days keep us away from many of the activities we love doing most. For these reasons the winter season impacts overall fitness levels of those who are subjected to these conditions.

For me, growing up in New York City, winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding and ice skating were not real options as far as staying active during the winter. Trying to pick up these activities as an adult can be difficult. So transforming into Alberto Tomba for some of us may not be the best option to keep up our current fitness level.

But this shouldn't be a reason we start looking more like Frosty the Snowman. Living in the Hudson Valley region of New York, we experience our fair share of cold and inclement weather but not enough that we have to regulate ourselves indoors in fear of frostbite.

Here are some suggestions to help you find activities we can do during winter to keep fit.

1. Walking. Yes I know walking can be done anytime of the year but even then how much walking do we get done on a regular basis. One survey suggested Americans walk less than 300 meters per day. So pull out that jacket inspired by some high Himalayan peak and fancy boots and put them to use.
2. Shoveling. Whenever you get a chance to grab a shovel and heave some snow. Don’t just regulate yourself to the fifteen feet from the front door to your car door either, hit some extra areas, shovel out your mailbox or a space for your garbage cans. Hey maybe you could even help a neighbor.
3. Hiking. This is sort of like walking 2.0. You may need to do this on a weekend or a day off but most trails are not closed off during the winter months and the amount of snow on the ground is normally not a major deterrent. You will probably cover a larger distance while hiking than you would walking around your neighborhood, along with the extra layers of clothes needed and the body's need to stay warm you’ll work harder throughout this activity and burn more calories.
4. Cross Country Skiing. No mastery needed to enjoy this one. I tried this a few times. I moved around just like I would have on downhill skis but there were no death defying drop offs to negotiate. After about an hour of this at 30 degrees I was down to just my t-shirt, gloves and snow pants. Its a great workout plus it’s about the only way you will catch me on skis. Where to go: Fahnestock Winter Park http://nysparks.com/parks/147/details.aspx and Bellayre Mountain http://www.belleayre.com/ both in the Hudson Valley offer this activity for much less than you would pay for a lift ticket and all that fancy ski equipment.
5. Sledding. This one is probably easier if you have young kids. Once you get them out there to that hill you already know they are going to want you to go down with them. Suddenly at the bottom of the hill children lose the ability to walk back up it and you will have to drag them. Drudging up a hill with a load in tow, I couldn't think of a better activity! Bonus: Your kids will love you even more for it ..Win/Win.

Add thes activities into your schedule when you can and along with those 30 burpees you knock out every morning you won’t feel like a bear coming out of hibernation come spring time.

Training for a Spartan Race

I discovered Spartan Race almost 4 years ago after reaching a point in my life that I realized I needed to make a change. I'm not sure exactly how it worked out but I feel that I have been training for one ever since I made that decision to do the first one.

I can remember people mentioning to me, even before learning about the many different course races out there, that "hey you should check this thing out, you seem like you would enjoy it". I was to busy wrapped up in what I felt took priority to realize that I was "chasing" things rather than running towards what I really needed.

Here's how I remember preparing for my first Spartan Race;

First of all I realized it was a race and I would have to run! Before this i can't remember running more than 1 mile. That wasn't due to the fact that I couldn't but the activities I engaged in did not require running for more than a few hundred feet at a time. So I had to build my endurance and my aerobic capacity.

I ran and ran and within 5 weeks of me starting to run I ran my first 5k with my brother on a 40 degree day in the middle of March. He finished in the top 20, I finished somewhere in the middle with a time almost 3 minutes faster than I thought I was capable of. I felt great and made me feel like I was going to be able to accomplish what I was working towards. A few weeks after that I ran in longer distance races and finished with faster paces each time as I moved along. I was making good strides.

I was mixing in some strength training. My equipment consisted of two 20lb dumbells, one 45lb plate and whatever I could do with my body weight. I did push ups, burpees, squats and presses holding the plate and some "beach work" with the dumbbells. I dug out a garden that spring and uncovered some large rocks,weighing around 80lbs, they became tools for me as well.

Everything being what it was I felt I was ready to compete come race day on the first weekend in June.

I went to my first Spartan Race, a sprint, in Tuxedo NY in 2012. I showed up alone which was a little intimidating since there was thousands of people there and I had never done this before. The vibe was great though. I spent some time warming up and looking around to see if I could catch a glimpse of Hobie Call (then the undisputed champ and face of the Spartan Race). I didn't see him so I lined up at my scheduled time at the starting line.

We were greeted and briefed by the "starter" dressed in a Spartan warrior helmet and cape. He got us fired up with a pep talk and with a few emphatic AROO's sent us out purse our destiny.

The steep grades at the start of the race outlasted my adrenaline reserves that had been released at the starting line and my pace slowed quickly. I was however still moving well and paced myself with a few others throughout the race. I handled most obstacles pretty steadily however the 400 meter barbed wire crawl tested my will. I failed the spear throw and did not have enough strength left to climb the rope at the end. A fall on a boulder on the final leg of the race almost spelled disaster, somehow I managed not to get hurt and completed the race.

I crossed the finish line where they placed a finishers medal around my neck and handed me some bananas and coconut water. I had just finished the most grueling physical challenge of my life. There is something very satisfying about feeling completely exhausted and accomplished at the same time. I've been running towards that feeling ever since.

I finished 363 overall out of the thousands that competed which ironically was the same place I finished a few months later when I ran the Super Spartan in New Jersey.

I have run a few more since then, improving my skills, strengths and overall place each time. Experience counts in these races as much as physical ability. Experience allows you to train appropriately and know exactly what to do when that obstacle comes your way. My thought process went from "how am I going to to this" to "how am I going to do this better".

I failed on the rope climb so I worked on climbing ropes. I struggled running up hills, so I decided to find more hills to run up while I was running. When it comes to hills the rule of thumb is, the steeper the better and if its paved it's probably not steep enough.

There is a definite commitment to be made in preparation. That commitment will pay of in the amount of confidence we have when it comes time to perform. The next chance I am scheduled to "perform" is June 7, 2015, more than 5 months away from the time that I am writing this and who knows how long away from when I started thinking about it.

My motives have changed but the goal remains the same; Be ready to be the best I can be on that given day.