Stolle HealthStyle

I've got the Itis

So my tendonitis has started to act up again. I guess I have to start taking better care of my fitness. I started doing wrist exercises and videotaping myself playing. I’ve checked a couple “good” technique websites to try and discover the flaw in my positioning but I couldn’t find one that looks right. Let’s face it, music is all about breaking down structure anyway right! But seriously, I need to fix something with my mechanics. Can any of you guitar players out there offer me up some advice?

Stella told me to take a break from guitar and start running more and get my whole body in better shape. I don’t really enjoy running (it’s basically the punishment in all team sports) but I’ve been playing some pick up games of basketball. I find it that basketball is one of the best workouts around because, like swimming, you use all of your muscles.

Speaking of basketball, GO LAKERS!! Kobe Bryant has to stop breaking my heart and win out the rest of this series.

Peace, wellness, and music,
-Eliott

An Appreciation of Lettuce

A few months ago, I ate a truly amazing salad consisting of simply lettuce and olive oil, at Alice Waters' Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, California. The butter lettuce that the cafe used was so smooth and tasty!

Inspired by that salad, I decided to grow my own lettuce. Well, this weekend I reaped the benefits of my decision. The lettuce was so crisp, so full of flavor - I couldn't believe it was actually from my own garden! Excuse me if I'm over-romanticizing a leaf of lettuce, but a whole new world opened up for me after I ate it. It was as if I tasted real lettuce for the first time in my life.

It's amazing how the littlest things in life, like tasting a really great vegetable, can increase your happiness. Feeling up to the challenge after the success of my lettuce, I spent the entire weekend working in my garden, battling the soil, heat, and mosquitoes. But it was all worth it.  Looking out my kitchen window, I no longer see empty dirt. Now, the sprouts of parsley, arugula, spinach, eggplant, and zucchini bring my backyard back to life.

I also got a thrilling upper body workout on Sunday, when I decided mid-morning to make a shade garden. This required me to dig up and overturn all the soil - with an axe! I'm feeling sore today, but seeing the newest addition to my backyard is so rewarding.

So folks, lettuce and homegrown vegetables are the way to go. Trust me, after one bite of a tomato or leaf of lettuce from your own garden, you'll never go back to store bought produce!

--Stella

Sick of Late Night Junk

I came home from the city last night, exhausted from my job and needing something to eat. The only option available was the McDonalds with the 24/7 drive-through. So I ordered one of those new Southwestern Style Chicken Sandwiches (I am a slave to advertising), but it was actually pretty tasty. Problem was, I had a feeling of weight burdening on my belly afterwards. I went to sleep feeling sick and bloated and woke up with the taste of under-paid grease monkey sweat in my mouth. Needless to say it was rather unpleasant.

This lead me to start thinking, wouldn’t it be great if there was a 24/7 drive-through place that was good for you, or even a nutritionally sound fast food in general to begin with? What is it about fruits, vegetables, salads and even pita bread that disallows it to be served fast and cheap? I mean, money doesn’t grow on trees but I’m pretty sure apples do.

What do you guys think?

--Madison

The Temptations of Summer

WOW! It’s been almost two weeks since my last post…
So I’ve been home from school now for about a month, and I’m finding it super hard to keep up with my fitness. I didn’t realize just how much I worked out during lax season, but it’s definitely a lot more than I’m doing now!
One of my biggest problems is that I don’t have anywhere to lift weights and work out on machines now that I’m home. At school we have a fantastic gym that’s free to all students, and it was maybe 5 minutes from my dorm!
Also I feel like I ate so much better when I was at school…isn’t that weird? But at school I ate salads for lunch and pasta or meat for dinner, and I was too broke to have any junk food in my room! Plus when I was with my teammates we all just drank water to stay hydrated.
But now that I’m home, there’s tons of really unhealthy things to eat in my parents’ house. My dad loves chocolate, so he always has Cadbury products in the fridge, and there’s always Coke and Ginger Ale to drink.
I’m having a really tough time resisting temptation! I feel like I’m going to gain my Freshman 15 after freshman year! Any tips??

Changing Locations

I have had the good fortune to live many places in my life.  Although this opens new horizons for me, it can disrupt my running routine.

Here are some tips that I have found helpful when I have to readjust my running routine.

1) Where to run:
There are some great websites out there that give advice for running trails throughout the country like www.mapmyrun.com where you can both map your run and find good running trails.  When I first moved to NYC, I needed to figure out the distance around my local park.  This website helped me a lot.  Now I know my exact distances.
2) How to run:
Sometimes it helps to find a guide for your new routine.  Even when I have gotten into a good pattern, when I change my location, my routine can get thrown off. Halhigdon.com can help you plan a routine if you are aiming for a goal like a half marathon or a marathon.  I find its easier to follow a guide when I am at first restarting my routine.  Physiologically I need a little kick in the running shorts to set my running goals.  Hal Hidgon is just the runner to help me do that. 
3) Whom to run with:
Choosing a partner is key.  Make sure you have a really similar running profile.  Here are some key questions that I ask myself and the other person.
What speed do you run?
I know I’m slow, I like to run at the 11-12 minute mile.  So if you are averaging an 8-minute mile, you will hate to run with me.
Trails or Roads?
These are different techniques so make sure you agree.  You can run faster on a road or a track, but trails are more beautiful and make for interesting runs.
Talk, Silent, Radio
I’m a talker and I usually don’t like to bring my iPod because it annoys me to hold it while I run.  If my partner runs with headphones, then I’m more likely to get bored and stop running.
Do you run with a pet?
I had a problem with my marathon partner 5 years ago.   I used to run with my yellow lab Danny.  But he always had to be on the left.  My partner had to be on the right.  Any deviation and both would be out of whack.  Ask your running partner which side they like to run on.  Make sure you get your positions straight!

All of these techniques help me to create a new running routine.  I’m still on the lookout for a partner though.  It seem  like radios  & iPods really have replaced conversation!

Keep Running!  --Madison

College stress making me sick

I could definitely use something to boost my immune system. My diet is way less than perfect. When it comes to exam time, I'm always sick. A couple of my teammates swear by Airborne so I gave it a try. I thought it worked well but I personally didn't like the flavors. (pink grapefruit? hot apple cider?)

My mom is always telling me to drink lots of OJ but I really never do. Every time I've bought some, it just sits in my fridge until I finally throw it out. Knowing this, my mom sent me these caplets called MicroMune last winter right before final exams. She also sent me One A Day vitamin pills along with them. I took them together (how healthy am I!) for about 2 weeks before exams. I liked them a lot because they worked well together. Lately I've stopped taking them because I keep forgetting! If I could only remember to take them I'd be healthy as ever!

Anyone else have any good ideas for staying healthy during exams?


xo, Katelyn

Pulling out the weeds, Welcoming in Spring

It takes me a while to get into the "gardening spirit". In early Spring, crocuses, daffodils and tulips can come and go, but still I feel no urge to go out and do any new gardening. That is, until I start to weed.

Weeding gets me going. The best cure for a lack of motivation is action itself. It sounds backwards, but it's true. In fact, it's true for a lot of things. What I've noticed is that if I just wait around for motivation to suddenly strike, I'll never get anything done.

All it takes is a little bit of will power to take the first step, and those energizing endorphins produced by the brain give enough of a push to get me going. And going. And going.

Going weeding is an especially good activity because it does a lot of good things for my soul. Besides ridding excess invaders from the garden to make it healthy, the calm repetitive action can rid excess stressful thoughts from my head. Not to mention, weeding does wonders for my upper body!

Weeding…

…cleanses the spirit. Tossing away the "bad" makes room for the "good".

…. brings out your youth. Getting down to face the earth with the mud up to your elbows and knees, makes you feel like a kid again.

… creates a meditative “flow”. You'll feel peaceful after the first dozen weeds or so.

…is addictive. In fact, the more you do, the more you want to do.

… helps you to gently burn off your calories while toning your upper body.

Best of all, after the weeding is done--the soil turned, refreshed and fertilized--it's finally time to do what you've wanted to do all winter: plant that spring garden!

Keep Healthy!

Stella

Getting Up the Courage

Tomorrow’s a new day. That’s what I tell myself when I think about starting a new exercise routine. I am going to do it tomorrow.

But I should be saying, “I’m going to do that now.”

In the past few years, I have been spiraling down into a slower and easier exercise routine. Instead of running twice around my park (3.6 mi), I’ll run once and walk once. Instead of hour yoga, I’ll settle for a 20-minute stretching video.

I want to wake up and run in the morning. Whenever starting a new routine, I exercise for one day and feel proud of myself, but the next day I wake up sore and my motivation disappears. My body says, “STOP! WAIT! We exercised yesterday. I can still feel it!” Well now I am determined. I am going to run more than once a week.

With a healthier diet, good stretch, encouragement from my friends and family, and a daily dose of RECOVsport, I am going to train for a half-marathon at the end of July. I want to feel that same energy I had in college when I ran the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon in 2003.

So I’m taking the plunge.

The Goal: A half Marathon
The Date: July 27
The Place: New York City

I figure the best way to get off my summer exercise routine is to keep posting and letting other runners know about my trails in tribulations. This way I’ll be more accountable! With this new HealthStyle, I hope to ease into my half marathon training with confidence.

Stolle HealthStyle

Welcome to the new Stolle Wellness HealthStyle blog!   In this space, we're going to be sharing new insights, helpful ideas and personal stories about our collective quest to gain better health and improve our lifestyle. 

Plus, we'll share our thoughts about exercise, good nutrition and how we deal with our own aches and pains. But we'll also be talking about boosting immunity, cardiovascular health and maximizing athletic performance. 

As we are on the verge of my favorite season of the year -- SUMMER!-- it's a great time to start new health routines, such as better eating, an increase in physical activity and incorporating stress reduction in our daily lives.  Just taking one little step each day can add up to an enormous number of positiive changes by the end of the summer.

Wishing you a summer of great health and wellness,

The Stolle HealthStyle team