We made it! Another year under the fuel belt and a fresh opportunity to start off with new goals. Hopefully, the first week of this year has been good to you.

I’ve used this week to think about my different personal running/workout goals. The flip side of being a runner as a running coach and personal trainer means that your workouts take a backseat to your clients’ workouts. And since business has really picked up in the last week, that means that I’m going to have to fit in workouts when I can, based on when I’m working.

Considering my business and what I want to achieve this year with my running, I’ve come up with a few goals that are SMART = Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-oriented.

1. Take 17 minutes off my half-marathon time in the Atlanta 13.1 in October. I have 10 months to do this. I think that’s doable. That’s what I want. If I can get a 17-minute faster time from one year to the next, I can certainly score this.

2. Eschew ALL summer races. That means no matter how tempted I am, I will NOT run in the VA-HI Suckfest 5K (even though I’ve run it the last 5 yrs) nor The Peachtree. I just can’t seem to get the time I want in this 10K because the heat and humidity are so horrible. Therefore, instead I am considering doing the CVS Strong Legs 10K in November. It was my first 10K I did with other DIVAS in 2009. It’s all about racing in comfortable (cool) weather.

3. Schedule in my own workouts just like client appointments. Obviously, working is a good thing when you’re coming from where I’ve been the last 3 years, ie, layoff, unemployment, career change, etc. I’m so very thankful where I’m at now. I feel like things have just exploded and in a good way. Compared to how things were last year at this time, I can look back on 2011 as a great year of growth and learning and this year is where they payoff comes. That being said, I can’t neglect my own health and fitness so being disciplined about blocking off time during the week for myself is going to be seriously important. After all, running is what inspired me to become a CPT and Running Coach.

4. Run less. That’s right. I really want to get stronger and do more strength training. Obviously, I will run more when I’m following my own training plan, but until I make that next plan and begin execution, I need to get stronger. That way, my body can handle running a lot better and for obvious health reasons. I have a tendency to either do only running or strength so I’m finding that nice balance with the scales tipped towards strength until my training season begins.

That’s all I have for now. Last year, I wrote down a HUGE list of things I wanted to do and while I did achieve many of the important goals, the list was just really too long and I was feeling maniacal by having so many choices.

Hopefully, your 2012 will be filled with running, training, and much success!

I am not talking about snakes. I am talking about ViPR!

My Christmas Present to Myself!

Since last January, I have had the rare opportunity to work with ViPRs at the only facility in Georgia that used them. What are they? They are a different type of weight, highly versatile, and once you’ve worked with one – it’s darn near impossible to go back to whatever weight training you did before.

In my personal training world, I have worked with the best of the best personal training team (we put those Biggest Loser loser trainers to shame! Can you tell I’m not a fan? ) and worked in a progressive personal training environment. We didn’t just put clients through a “traditional” weight training program with dumbbells and static machines. Nope, we believe in putting people through truly functional, movement-based training. What does that mean?

The buzz words “functional training” get a lot of hype these days and they sound good, but what do they really mean? Any type of movement you do on a regular basis is mimicked with a weight for added resistance and to build strength for your body to be able to handle that movement. As far as “movement-based training” goes, ever walk into a gym and just see members standing or sitting and pumping that weight? Yeah, well, shame on them.

Weight machines are mere training wheels. They do have their place, mind you, but if you want to know how strong you are, pick up a free weight and then move with it. Standing there just pumping a dumbbell isn’t a movement I normally do. No, I move my body throughout the day. Whether I’m squatting, twisting, jumping or lifting while moving, I don’t normally just stand there and look pretty doing something akin to the Tomahawk Chop. Now, I’m not going to run with weights over my head like that other profane place called Xfit. Yeah, I can’t even type the word out fully. That’s a dirty word amongst my team members. Why?

Having learned with the best and working with the best and receiving quality, hands-on education as well as earning quality personal training certifications, what some “trainers” fail to do – either out of ignorance or laziness – is train clients in all 3 planes of motion. But, that is another post for another day. One sermon at a time.

Back to the ViPR! It’s hard to really explain the ViPR until you perform a ViPR workout. My co-worker, Nick Luciano, is a ViPR Master Trainer and at some point, he will be teaching a ViPR certification course at the facility where we work which I can’t wait to get to! I’ve already got many of the moves down, but I can’t wait to learn even more. Lucky for me, I can still learn from him, but this certification stands out among many.

So, come see me if you want to experience the ViPR – it’s not like anything you’ve experienced!

The race started and ended at Park Tavern and my table was situated right in front of the doors to Park Tavern Entrance. Some vendors were outside and some stayed inside – where the after-party and beer could be found. I chose to set up my table right outside the entrance on purpose – visibility. My view of the runners in action was a bit distant but I could still see them.

Faithfully sticking to my station, I enjoyed congratulation the runners post-race, meeting and talking with prospects and living in the energy of the moment. I was also interviewed by the Beltline, which was an unexpected surprise and I know I said PERFECT too many times, but that is what the entire event was – PERFECT! If the interview actually gets broadcasted somewhere, try not to laugh too much. I have no idea what I said, but at least I said it with confidence and conviction.

While meeting new people and making new connections, there were a few familiar faces in the crowd. One of the Midtown Atlanta DIVAS Run Meetup Group members who I ran with for a couple of weeks showed up to report a great race!

This race would not have been as great as it was without our fearless, fabulous leader and Atlanta BeltLine Running Series Director, Dan Popovic. The Beltline 10K would not have been as much fun or as well-organized without Dan. If you don’t know Dan, you don’t know anybody.

If you haven’t participated in a race other than a runner, you are missing out! Get involved as a volunteer! A LOT of DETAILED work goes into planning the event you enjoy as a runner. It’s a great way to give back to the running community and it’s just as much fun to cheer runners on as it is to be cheered. If you’re interested in volunteering for the Atlanta Beltline, there are many opportunities to get involved with the Atlanta Beltline!

DIVAS Run has officially relocated to Urban Body Fitness, located in Amsterdam Walk. Come by for a tour and to find out about UBF membership and services.

UPDATE! Email issues have been resolved.   sher@divasrun.com and info@divasrun.com emails are now functioning correctly. Thanks for your patience and I apologize for any incovenience.

Thanks and Happy Running!

Sher