25 years ago Fit & Able Productions began as a just Team Fit & Able, a youth triathlon team. Now it has evolved to a multi-season, multi-discipline, all-ages training program and its still going strong. Learn all about Team Fit & Able!
The competition doesn't end at the finish line with the Free-for-All Race Series! Learn how you can earn points throughout the year at all Fit & Able events and win prizes at the end!
Today I want to go over the special offers we have available at most of our events to help get you to the start line and to invite your friends and family to join you. With these offers you can sign up for all Fit & Able races and save! Learn about: - Multi-race Bundles - Referral Rewards - Team Rewards - Fundraising Rewards PLUS our new Spotify playlists for each race! Here are the great deals we have for you!
Summer is her and we are all taking time off from racing but the fall season is coming up fast and we want to make sure you are ready! Here is a quick overview of what the rest of 2021 has in store for Fit & Able and YOU!
Congratulations! You’ve followed the plan you laid out and achieved the goal you were training for. There may have been ups and downs along the way - maybe you were injured and had to downshift the exercise for a bit, or burned out and had to fight yourself to get back on the wagon - but, no matter what, you didn’t quit and you reached the finish line. Feels great, doesn’t it? It should! You did a great job. What if you didn’t fully get to the goal you set? Well, how close did you get? Whatever the answer is its certainly a lot closer than you were when you began, which is something too. But what now? Whatever this goal brought you can’t be the only thing you want in life, right? Let’s talk about what’s next. Short answer is you’re going to set a new and greater goal and craft your plan to achieve it. But now you’re beyond the basics of a simple beginner plan. There are a few steps you need to follow first to make your next one as successful as possible. But before you do anything else celebrate! You just did something incredible. It doesn’t matter whether you feel that your goal was big or small you still did it. Unfortunately, that’s a feeling many people will never get to feel. Pat yourself on the back, tell a friend and get a high five, go out to dinner, eat some cake, whatever it may be do something special to mark the occasion! Obviously, don’t go overboard but have a good time. If you go big on finishing this first training plan it will be even harder to celebrate in a meaningful way when you tackle your next one. Plus, since you’ve been taking better care of yourself for the best few months whatever you eat, drink, or otherwise gorge on will hit a lot harder and you’ll feel pretty bad the next day. After your celebration you want to be saying “I can’t wait for my next big win!” rather than “I’m never doing that again.” Alright, back to the serious stuff. First, while it’s all still fresh in your mind, you need to look back at the program you just completed and debrief yourself. You now have some experience with training plans and can start to improve on your original plan or craft an entirely new one that’s more advanced. Second, you need to take a break! Yes, you heard me. While it feels great to have accomplished your goal and you want to ride that high into your next project, you do need to give yourself time to rest, reset, and recharge. That high won’t last forever and you don’t want to go hard charging into your next training plan and burnout when the buzz wears off. Finally, it’s time to set your sights on you next goal. You need to raise the bar. When you’re ready to get started on your next goal-oriented journey all you need to do is go back to step one. Define your new goal. Write it down on a piece of paper and hang it next to the last one. That way you can see where you want to go next to how far you’ve come already. Again, the main goal is to complete the training plan, remain healthy, and have fun. You must remember that if you start out going too hard you can injure yourself and fail. If you take the rest period, as you should, you will in fact need some time to build back up again. You can’t just start cold where your previous training plan ended; you won’t quite be at that level anymore. The good news is that you won’t have far to go and will be back up to speed in a few weeks. As you intensify your training or extend the time period of your training plan, such as from 3 months to 9 months, you are going to start running into issues that novice athletes or shorter training cycles won’t encounter.
Alright, welcome back for the next part of this series on training plans for beginners. Just to recap, first, you determined your starting point, or current fitness level, and then you set the goal you are going to work for. Now it’s time to fill in the middle with all the incremental steps you need to take to go from start to finish. This is the most detailed and technical part of creating the plan. If you simply search “5k training plans” you will not have to look very hard to find results. From beginner level Couch to 5k programs to Jeff Galloway’s elite training plan, you can find a calendar that lists what to run, when to run, and how much to run. But have you ever wondered, “How do they come up with this?” Experience? Yes, in most cases a coach knows how to develop a quality training plan through years of competing as a runner before becoming a coach themselves. But you don’t have to be that elite athlete to know how to construct a training plan. All training plans for distance running events will be comprised of the same basic elements These basic elements are periodization, safe workload progression, and goal specific workouts. If this is your first training plan you don’t necessarily need to build out a plan with all of these details but it will help you understand the general structure and progression of the plan. Periodization refers to the systematic planning of training. The idea behind periodization is to reach “peak” performance at the most important point in time; usually this is a competition but it can also just be the personal goal line you set for yourself. It is a progressive cycle that divides the conditioning program into different phases of training, each with their own goal. You can adjust the timeline for these based on the duration of the plan you are creating. There are 3 different cycles: • macrocycle • mesocycle • microcycle A macrocycle is usually a year-long plan made up of three phases: preparation, competitive, and transition. The preparation phase usually lasts 2/3 to 3/4 of the macrocycle and is where the majority of the training takes place. The competitive phase is the period of time where the main event or goal race takes place. And finally, you have the transition phase. This is where rest and time off come in to play. The athlete is getting ready to “transition” to the next macrocycle by resting and healing their body. A mesocycle represents a phase of training that last anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks. It is a period of time with a specific focus on the same type of physical adaptation. For example, building an aerobic base or increasing muscle mass would be considered a mesocycle. These different mesocycles are then combined to form the macrocycle. The microcycle cycle refers to the individual and daily activities that work towards the goal of the mesocycle. The microcycle typically last a week and would include elements like a long run or hill workout. Your daily workouts are the individual sessions that make up each week’s microcycle. Each session will have one or more physical activities that addresses something you need to move forward, such as strength, endurance, speed, power, etc. Looping back to the introduction, all of these cycles combine to constitute the process that you are committing yourself to. These are the paving stones on the road to achieving your goal. You will see that these cycles slowly add more and more to the workload. If done correctly the body will adapt to the increased workload and you will see an improvement in performance.
Are you ready for the fun part of creating your first training plan? In this video we are going to go over exactly how you can set your goal in the best way possible for you to achieve it. Do you remember making outlines? You know, those bulleted lists that helped you plan and organize your papers in high school or college. They’re like the paper’s skeleton. The outline holds up the paper and keeps it in proper form. More importantly, outlines helped you get from the introduction to the conclusion in the best way possible. They helped make you a better writer. Better writers got better grades. A training plan has the same value for athletes of all ages, abilities, and skill levels. It doesn’t matter if you’re about to go out for your first run or getting ready for the Olympics. You need one. The plan will get you from your current state to your desired state in the best way possible. They will help make you a better athlete. Better athletes get better outcomes. In the last video we covered how to find your current fitness level or Point A. Now you need to figure out what Point B is so that you can plot the course between them. You can’t achieve a goal if you aren’t perfectly clear on what that goal is. For better or for worse, goals are like dreams. They can be as big as your imagination allows. But that can mean you set a goal way beyond what you can reasonably achieve. You can keep it realistic by taking that goal out of your head and putting it on paper. That simple act helps bring it into the real world and allows you to look at it objectively. Writing it down also reinforces that goal in your mind. You can look at that piece of paper every morning and every night. Read it to yourself. Read it out loud. Read it a thousand times. If you gave yourself a manageable goal and laid out a doable plan, one day you will reach the end. All you will need to have done is follow the plan and do the work. You will have achieved your goal! A study published in the American Psychological Association found that when someone set specific and challenging goals it led to a higher performance 90% of the time when compared to someone who set easy goals, "do your best" goals, or no goals at all. Goals affect performance by directing attention, mobilizing effort, increasing persistence, and motivating strategy development. Setting goals gives you long term vision and short term motivation. But from the start one of the most important pieces to a training plan is that it requires you to write down your goal. It’s not truly a plan if its only in your head; that’s just an idea. Written goals are 39.5% more likely to succeed than the wishful thinking we keep inside. BUT the benefits don’t stop there! Written goals PLUS weekly accountability are 76.7% more likely to succeed. Your plan is your accountability control. Each day you can check off a small piece of your progress; or not check off workout sessions you missed or skipped. You will have instant feedback on whether you are doing the work or letting your dream slip away. Families are the perfect teams for making lifelong health and fitness changes. Your family is already a team in so many ways. We are just so accustomed to it we don’t even recognize it. But think about it. When a kid says, “Hey, I need something,” who’s there to help him? Siblings and parents! When a parent says, “Hey, can you help me?, who’s lands a hand? The spouse and kids. The support network is there. All you need is to set the goal.
Alright, I hope from yesterday’s video you understand the value of establishing a training plan. Having a plan will help you filter out distractions, break down a monumental task into bitesize chunks, and help you a commit to a process rather than hoping for a goal. BUT before we start laying out a plan for achieving a newer, faster, stronger, better self we need to determine where we stand today. This won’t only help you develop a plan that will actually meet your needs it will help keep you safe along the way too. So, SAFETY FIRST! But that’s all just for figuring out what may or may not kill you. You also need to ask yourself, “What is my current fitness level?” Good? Bad? Superior? Abysmal? The answer doesn’t matter because it’s only going up from here. The point of answering the question is to provide you with a baseline figure that will help you plan a workout program tailored to your individual needs. This will help avoid overtraining, under-training, and decrease the risk of injuries. You can either have a coach or trainer guide you through a fitness screening or do some fairly simple tests yourself. There are 4 categories that determine a person’s physical fitness level: • Body composition • Flexibility • Muscular strength and endurance • Aerobic endurance After you have completed each fitness test take some time to see where you are at. The tables in the attached document categorize results and will help determine your current fitness level. Remember, don’t be discouraged if your results are not what you were expecting. The whole point of this training plan thing is to get you where you want to go. Alright, with that out of the way, we can finally start developing your first training plan.
We are now halfway through the year but there’s still a long way to go before we’re clinking champagne glasses and toasting the new year. The good news for all of us is that there's still time to do the work and make progress on whatever we hoped to gain this year. If you need to take another shot at achieving your goals - whatever they may be - then today is the day to get going. Almost everyone sets goals for the year, whether its as a new year’s resolution or something more formal, but very few people actually accomplish those goals. Goals should be something that we set, accomplish, and then leave in our dust as we pick new ones that will take us even further. If we have the same annual goal each year it just becomes perennial wishful thinking. So, what’s holding so many people back from actually achieving the goals they set for themselves? The fact that they don’t actually create a plan to achieve that goal. A month ago we discussed commitment and what that does towards helping us actually achieve the goals we set. We can set all the goals we want but if we don’t make a personal commitment to the goal, and the process of achieving that goal, then the odds of us getting to that finish line are almost zero. But it is actually pretty hard to commit ourselves to a goal that’s far out in the future. It can be difficult for us to hold on to that vision for the entire time it takes us to achieve that goal. When we lose sight of that finish line we often also lose our motivation to keep moving forward. We often don’t see the progress we have made in ourselves: just think of losing weight but not seeing the change in the mirror. But we are very aware of the daily struggle as we keep doing the hard work. When the work seems to outweigh the results we become discouraged. Being discouraged allows the nagging little fears and doubts to get in our heads and weaken our resolve to keep going. Then we are at serious risk of quitting. We can instead commit ourselves to the process of achieving the goal rather than the goal itself. The process is something we can hold in our minds day in and day out. The daily progress may be imperceptible but intellectually we know we are moving forward as we complete the small tasks that will add up over time. Success isn’t found in the goal but rather in the process. And the process is laid out in the plan. For the purposes of this series we are going to just focus on developing an exercise training plan. But you can use these tools to create a plan to accomplish any kind of goal, whether its related to health, wealth, relationships, or whatever. If there is sufficient interest I would like to cover those topics as well. For novices though, both young and old, creating a new training plan can seem really complicated. Yes, training plans can get super complicated - for Olympic athletes. But yours doesn’t need to be. After all, you just want to get from Point A to Point B, not each and every step to Point Z. Do you remember those “Choose Your Own Story” books? The end of each chapter gave you a few options for where the story could go next. You can mix and match the choices to get different overall stories; sometimes you might get the same endings but the story paths there were different. These are fun for kids but most adults enjoy books that clearly walk them from the front cover to the back cover. Well, same goes for exercise with many people, except most people go with the self-guiding story option and find they don’t get the happy ending they hoped for. If you don’t know what you really want for the end of the story you don’t know how to order the chapters.
Happy World UFO Day! It's Friday before a long holiday weekend so let's have some fun! UFOs used to just be the stuff of the silver screen, conspiracy theorists, and guys with extra hubcaps and a camera. But if you've been paying attention to the news the past 9 months or so you'll have heard that the Pentagon has finally admitted to decades of UFO sightings by naval aviators all around the world. The guy next door with the tinfoil hat doesn't seem so crazy now, right? Who knows: maybe the CIA has been reading your brainwaves all this time too. Anyway, World UFO Day was organized in 2001, and was put together to bring together enthusiasts of UFO’s and the evidence they’ve all gathered to support their existence. Knowing that the possibility that we’ll one day encounter other intelligent life in the universe is practically 100%, they knew it was vital that people started having the dialogue about their arrival long before there was accepted proof that they arrived. If you're looking for something to do this evening - and none of your friends are calling - why not celebrate World UFO Day? Go watch some sci-fi movies and some out-of-this-world treats like neon green punch and ice-cream shaped like the head of little green men. You'll know you celebrated this day to the fullest if you can't go to sleep tonight because you're worried about abductions and probes. Even if you aren't a hardcore believer like Mulder and Scully, you may enjoy the idea of UFOs and aliens is fun because it makes our universe a bit more fun. Most of our days are spent doing the exact same thing day in and day out: get up, go to work, eat some leftovers, scroll through Netflix indecisively, and go to bed. We almost crave something that breaks us out of the monotony of the mundane. Just look at the major IPs and franchises from the past 25 years that have had worldwide success. We are like kids in a candy store for stories - whether that's books, movies, games, whatever - where someone ordinary like us has something happen that moves them into a more extraordinary world. Whether that's Peter Parker getting bit by a radioactive spider, Harry Potter getting an invitation to Hogwarts, or Bilbo Baggins getting a knock on his door. Yes, these are fictional characters in already extraordinary worlds. BUT in those worlds they were ordinary people who became aware of the extraordinary. Same applies for us here in our perceived reality. UFOs are a tease that there's something out there that makes our world more extraordinary than we currently experience it. The same thing goes for ghosts, zombies, angels, demons, magicians, and superheroes. Whether inspiring or terrifying they are all things we can imagine existing in the same world we do. And that gives us a thrill. The possibility of it simply makes the world we inhabit feel more fun. The actuality of it may be a different matter entirely though. So be careful what you wish for! Anyway, just over a month ago I made a video about commitment and stated I was making a commitment to doing a daily video each week. Well at least for this past month I'd say I succeeded. I hope you also made a commitment to yourself to do something for June and that you are now able to celebrate that accomplishment. It's been fun doing a Happy Day topic each day and they've been a nice summer treat. But as we start heading towards our fall running season I'm going to be structuring these videos differently to hopefully provide you with more information that will help you perform your best starting next week.
Happy Joke Day! And Happy July too! Yes, the year is officially half-way through, which is hard to believe. But while it's time to get serious and buckle down on what we want to get our of 2021, today is an opportunity to sit back and have a laugh at everything so far. Jokes have likely been told since man first looked at himself in a pool of water and passed judgment on his own complexion. We definitely have jokes from Ancient Greece and Rome even if the punchline doesn't really hit as hard as it used to. Do you think you’re funny? Do you like to make other people laugh? Laughter is a universally recognized expression of amusement and you can learn a lot about other people and cultures by their humor. We all know that jokes don't always translate well and have seen some go right over the listener's head even when in the same language. But we aren't going to let that stop us and Joke Day is the perfect day to tell a joke to friends, family, or anyone whose attention you can grab to make them guffaw, groan, or giggle. Telling a good joke doesn't just put a smile on other people's faces but also your own. There's really no shame in laughing at your own jokes. They say that laughter is the best medicine, and a lot of people would agree with this! After all, there are actually a lot of health benefits that are associated with laughing. Laughter doesn't just bring people together but also triggers healthy emotional and physical changes in the body. Laughter can help to protect you from the damaging impact of stress, diminish physical and mental pain, boost your mood, and strengthen your immune system. Nothing workers more dependably or quicker to bring your body and mind back into balance than a good old laugh. Humor also keeps you alert, focused, and grounded, as well as connecting you to others, inspiring hope, and lightening your burden. Believe it or not, it can also help you to forgive sooner and release anger too. You may have also heard that laughter is a good way to burn calories, and this is true too! Of course, this does not mean that you should replace going to the gym with laying on the sofa and watching your favorite comedian. However, one study concluded that you can burn around 40 calories if you laugh for between 10 and 15 minutes each day. Over the year, this could be enough to lose around four pounds! So, if you're worried about how to land the best jokes we have some tips to help you deliver like a pro. - Have fun! If you are not having fun, how do you expect your audience to laugh and enjoy themselves as well? - Communication and personality are critical. Comics light up the room before even telling a joke because they are emotive and present. - Know your audience. After all, different people find different things funny so keep this in mind when you are thinking about the sort of joke to tell. - Confidence is key. Your stage presence, even if you are not on a stage, can be the difference as to whether your joke lands or not. - Get the timing right. This is something that is linked to confidence. Some people rush through jokes when they are nervous, and this can throw everything off. Anyway, go out and do your best to make the world laugh. You might not get everyone rolling on the floor laughing out loud but I bet you can at least crack a few smiles. If you have any questions or topics you would like me to talk about in future videos, please drop a comment below or shoot me an email at info@fitandable.net! And, if you don't mind, please share this with your friends and family; they might hear something that helps them out. t! Thank you for racing with Fit & Able.
Happy Social Media Day! Depending on who you're talking to social media is either the best way to stay connected with everyone you know or the destroyer of civility, productivity, and attention spans. Let's just call it somewhere in the middle and recognize that it's here to stay. So, let's put on our rose colored glasses and celebrate it! Or delete all your profiles and get off the grid! Either way social media is everywhere these days. Though the days of Myspace are long gone, we’re constantly hearing about what's currently trending, the latest viral craze, and new scandals erupting and being forgotten every day on new and innovative platforms. No doubt you have as many discontinued social apps on your phone as you have old styles in your closet. But just as you'll dive into the next fad because 'you can't find anything to wear' you can bet you're going to sign up for the next thing that lets you filter, share, and like your way across the internet. For better or worse, social media has a major impact on the world. For many of us, it is how we keep up with what our friends are up to, even if they’re on the other side of the planet. It has also played a big part in world events. Twitter was used to organize protests and report on events during the Arab Spring, for example. On a more shallow note, Twitter is a great way to keep up with what your favorite celebrities are up to – as long as they don’t just use it to Instagram pictures of their lunch! If we’re honest, most of us use social media for less than upright purposes ourselves. We use it to show off our holidays and what adventures we have planned for the weekend. We know everyone presents an idealized version of themselves on social media, whether by de-tagging unflattering photos or implying their life is more exciting and glamorous than it really is. But that doesn't stop us from comparing ourselves negatively to what we are seeing even when we know we are only seeing a carefully curated narrative. It's like going to an art museum: you don't see the thrown out sketches, mess ups, and failures, you only see the final masterpiece. But there are also lots of reasons to love Social Media Day. It gives everyone the ability to have a voice where they can document their daily activities, share their opinions, and showcase their talents. It's also a great way for people to discover new things that they may not have been exposed to before naturally. Social media opens up a world of possibilities for people, and that is something very exciting! Frankly, there's not much to say about social media that you haven't already heard before... likely on social media. But the "special day" pickings were slim for today. But long story short, social media is a tool like any other; it's what you make of it. If you spend all day scrolling through endless posts of vanity, engaging in trolling arguments over nothing, and generally avoiding taking advantage of your own life, then social media will indeed rot you from the inside out. However, if you use it to build a business to give yourself the life you want, reach out to people you can genuinely help and inspire, and generally provide things of value than consume trash, then social media can be an effective and meaningful tool on your belt to do great things. If you have any questions or topics you would like me to talk about in future videos, please drop a comment below or shoot me an email at info@fitandable.net! And, if you don't mind, please share this with your friends and family; they might hear something that helps them out. t! Thank you for racing with Fit & Able.
Happy International Mud Day! Mud. It often seems like a nuisance, doesn’t it? As soon as it rains, mud is everywhere, and it literally gets all over everything - especially those things we desperately tried to avoid getting it on too. There are definitely no benefits this slippery, sticky dirty substance could offer, right? Wrong. And the creators of International Mud Day are out to prove it! After all, mud is quintessential to the outdoors, and the outdoors mean fresh air and exercise, two of the best things for people. And so what if we get a little dirty? Plenty of research has shown that coming into contact with a certain amount of bacteria is good for us, as it helps build up immunity, as opposed to living in a virtually sterile environment, which makes our bodies very vulnerable. Not to mention how many minerals mud contains. There’s a reason why people pay hundreds of dollars for mud masks and baths at spas. Plus it's just plain fun to get outside and get dirty. How else do you explain the popularity of Spartan races and mud runs? Sure there's a great feeling of accomplishment for conquering those physical challenges and obstacles, but there's also something to just letting go and getting down and dirty in all the great mud. It makes for some great photos at the finish line when all you can see of the person are bright eyes and smiles. And it demonstrates to many people that you are willing to do things most others won't. You aren't going to let mud, sweat, and tears stop you! If you have ever been off-roading you know you always need to come home with a bit of mud on the fenders. It shows you've been on an adventure and that you aren't just driving around a Pavement Princess. You've added a bit of character to your vehicle, proven that it has a stout heart, and probably have some great stories to tell too! Maybe its because we spend so much of our lives buttoned up and looking the part we are supposed to play; or maybe it's just a yearning to get back to the carefree joys of our childhoods. Either way there's a natural draw to the stuff that's almost irresistible. So go find some mud to enjoy! You don't have to get covered head to toe but you can find a modest little puddle, take off your shoes, kick off your socks, roll up your pants, and take glee in the luxurious gooey feel of the mud on your feet. It's a short one today but its a nice little reminder that you're never too old to enjoy some good clean(ish) fun. If you have any questions or topics you would like me to talk about in future videos, please drop a comment below or shoot me an email at info@fitandable.net! And, if you don't mind, please share this with your friends and family; they might hear something that helps them out! Thank you for racing with Fit & Able.
Happy Heart Hugs Day! If a 'heart handshake' is what a surgeon does to manually keep your heart beating what could a heart hug possibly be? Well, it means it’s time to get super snuggly and lovey dovey with the people you really love. If you’re a bit of a humbug, you probably won’t be up for celebrating this super squishy day. But if you like hugs and cuddles, fist bumps and high fives, and telling people how much they really mean to you, then this day is all about you and those wonderful people in your life! Anybody who you love, anyone who you think deserves some love, anyone you see as being a bit of an inspiration, or anyone you are just thankful to have in your life but you maybe don’t see as often as you would like. These are all people that could benefit from your happy heart hugs on Happy Heart Hugs Day! Surprisingly this holiday was created by, or at least for, a dog. Archie Brindleton, a super happy French bulldog inspired this day, presumably because as a dog he is full of happy hugs himself. Why celebrate this on June 28th? Because that's the day Archie's owners brought him home. Anyway, while that's a cute story for the owners, its a pretty lame foundation upon which to establish a holiday. BUT the good news is that if a happy little dog from one of the most inbred breeds on the planet can create a special day, then anyone can! And that includes you too! Why don't you start a special day yourself? We all basically celebrate the same holidays each year: New Year's, Valentines Day, Christmas, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, and so on and so forth. The calendar tells us when and what to celebrate and we follow the plan without question. Naturally, there is some variation for special holidays of religious or cultural groups or celebrations and more personally meaningful days, such as birthdays and anniversaries we share with friends and family. But why not get creative and start coloring outside the lines? Find something that's really special to you and make a day to celebrate your enjoyment and appreciation for it? Pretty much all the 'Happy Days' you've heard about this past month were started just that way. Someone had a passion, or hobby, or special food and wanted to share the joy it brings them with the world. Some of these days started locally and grew in popularity and scope; others began on the national stage and trickled down to have unique activities in many locations. But they all started because someone or some group took action to share their passion. But you don't need to start a movement to get local, national, or global recognition to create a special day. Why not just have something that's special just to you or your closest friends and family? Anyway, over the past month we have explored a wide variety of cool things that get celebrated and if you look up the calendars of holidays, celebrations, and other special days you'll see quite a list. But as long as that list is it isn't exhaustive; that list is growing and you can be one to add to it too. So reflect on all the great things you've had in life, the people, places, and things you've seen, and experiences or activities, big or small, that have brought you joy. Pick the one that is the most meaningful to you - and isn't already recognized by another day - and then find a date that bears some strong tie to that thing. Or just find a date that doesn't have anything else going on already and go with that. Who cares?! It's your special day! At the very least enjoy it just for you or share it with friends and family. If its something that is more widely shared you can expand it to your community or try to get it recognized on a great scale. Either way, create it, put it on the calendar, and enjoy it every year!
Happy Strawberry Parfait Day! Like it's distance cousin - the Strawberry Short Cake - I'm going to keep this one brief. Strawberry Parfait Day, dedicated to that delicious treat that is so welcome during the hot summer months, and craved even in the face of the biting cold of winter by the true connoisseur. The exotic sounding name brings to mind the quaint little street-side cafes of Paris, where the treat so many of us are familiar with found its origin. With everything opening up again you may soon be able to get over there with a direct flight and actually enjoy it in one of those cafes. It’s name describes the treat to a tee, Parfait simply means, “Perfect”. But a perfect what? The word parfait has actually been used to describe quite a number of different things, and not all of them are delicious layered deserts. Such was the dedication to making this the perfect treat, that special glasses were designed solely for the purpose of showing off the artistically layered designs made during the treats creation. Parfaits can include any combination of ingredients, from creams and fruits, nuts, liquor, even gelatin, or granola. They’ve crossed the line from being merely a dessert food, to being deemed appropriate for any time of day. All you need to do is shake up what's included! But we need a moral lesson for today too, right? Just like ogres and onions, parfaits have layers too. If you dump all the ingredients in and mix it up that's a clear sign you're a psychopath. But if you coordinate and delicately layer in each ingredient you can create a little work of art. If you are serving them for brunch or dessert you can extend the pleasure of the dish with its presentation and instill a great anticipation in your dining guests long before they dip their spoon in and get that first bite. Parfaits are really simple to put together so give it a shot the next time you have people over, such as family brunch this coming Sunday. You can even lay out a build-your-own parfait bar with a wide variety of ingredients. Everyone will likely build a unique creation and you can play a game of guessing what that says about them as a person. There's no reason parfaits need to be fun only for your taste buds! If you have any questions or topics you would like me to talk about in future videos, please drop a comment below or shoot me an email at info@fitandable.net! And, if you don't mind, please share this with your friends and family; they might hear something that helps them out. t! Thank you for racing with Fit & Able.
most popular forms of physical activity, even among otherwise sedentary individuals. Throughout the centuries swimming has also been a vital skill for many people and cultures to provide for themselves, whether for fishing, pearl diving, and other activities to reap the bounties of the sea. Swimming is a great way of getting exercise, especially for those who have health problems that make traditional exercise difficult due to weaknesses, arthritis, difficulty moving, degenerative diseases. The buoyant nature of water makes it much easier on those with physical limitations to get out and have a good time, and the act of coursing through the water is often described as feeling a bit like flying! Furthermore, its low impact nature allows those whose movement would otherwise be restricted to engage in a full body workout without causing further damage. Even those who are of advanced age can find an ability to remain active in this sport for a long time! Swimmers tend to engage in the activity for longer than other forms of exercise, and the act of swimming often engages the entire body while moving through the water. This results in the body drawing on large supplies of oxygen during almost all stages of the activity. Other benefits include a reduction in stress related illnesses and it can even improve posture! Due to its full body nature, this sport is also excellent for building cardiovascular and respiratory health, increasing how much oxygen the body is able to take advantage, as well as how much blood the heart is able to move with each stroke. Swim a Lap Day reminds us that any activity is better than remaining sedentary, and a single lap is a great way to get a start on a healthful and engaging exercise that can involve the whole family. More importantly in many ways, swimming is not just a good life skill to have but it can also be a life-saving skill too. Even if you aren't a member of the local neighborhood pool at some point in your life you will find yourself on a pool deck or on a lake or at the beach. Tragically, all too often we hear stories about people, and especially kids, playing around the water carefree and drowning. This happens for many reasons but mainly because (1) they are not mindful - and may not even know of - the potential dangers around them and (2) do not have the skills needed to get themselves out of them. Often times kids who don't know how to swim have parents who also don't know how to swim. So when the kid begins to struggle the parents have no way to help them; many times those parents die in the attempt as well. With the number of community pools in our area and our proximity to so many great lakes, beaches, and rivers it's easy to assume that everyone learns how to swim. However, that is far from true. It's a sad fact that minority and under-privileged populations are at most risk of drowning by a large margin because they do not have access to aquatic centers with training programs. Fortunately, there are national programs with local branches run by the YMCA and Triangle Aquatic Center that are dedicated to providing swim lessons to both kids and adults for either low-cost or no-cost so we can start turning that terrible trend around. The adult programs are especially important because it can be an awkward skill to learn later in life but it gives them greater confidence in themselves and allows them to help others, especially their kids, when needed.
Happy Let it Go Day! No, this isn't a day to dress like Elsa and go sing in the snow. But if that's your thing I'm not one to judge, especially if you're able to find snow in North Carolina in June. Everyone has probably experienced those nagging regrets and grudges that tug at their souls for weeks, months, or even years. It doesn’t even matter how much time has passed after the people, jobs, or situations which once made those negative feelings important ceased to be part of their life. It's an unfortunate part of human nature that it can still be so very hard to let go of these things. This is an experience we all share at one point or another in our lives. Most people never manage to move past it and the few that do almost seem to have superpowers. We have all had times in our lives when it felt important to take every opportunity to demonstrate to that ex, former coworker, or classmate how well things were going without them, or at least had a strong temptation to do so. But isn’t it finally time to move on and let go of all of those negative emotions that tend to drag everything down? Even a temptation not acted upon chews up your precious time and emotional resources. And for what? There's certainly no material gain to that. And whatever pleasure it gives you is short lived and ultimately hollow. Whatever the original problem was isn't solved, the emotional wounds aren't healed, and if that person didn't care enough to treat you better in the first place they certainly don't care enough about you now to think "Oh, yeah. You got me now!" In fact, you're probably going to feel even worse because you know deep down that you're now the one being the dick. At best, you've now lowered yourself to their level; at worst, you've given them the moral high-ground. Regrets are not particularly useful to anyone. They tend to weigh on people’s consciences and leave them with a deficit of joy, often at a time when those who have been wronged have long since forgotten them. Even if the other person hasn’t offered forgiveness, it is an important step toward healing for people to learn to forgive themselves. If we are honest with ourselves we can admit that we aren't always upstanding with other people too. This helps with the process of moving forward without guilt or bitterness and allows people to endeavor to live a better life in the future. But how do you do this? Write down a list of the things that are regrettable, such as fear, holding grudges, guilt, regrets, the past, excuses, and toxic people who just make life miserable, and spend some time letting them go. To do this, simply work on trying to relax and let that guilt and fear vanish from the moment and, eventually from the whole of life. One example of a way to symbolize this is by throwing that list into a fire to watch them burn. Let the smoke and embers carry those worries to the sky and wind, where they’ll be erased. Since these things can be easily forgotten, go ahead and use Let It Go Day to create some reminders that will move forward throughout the other days of the year. Whether it’s something as simple as hanging a poster of Disney’s Elsa singing the song, or painting a canvas filled with inspirational ideas, use this day to set those reminders.
Happy Onion Rings Day! Its about time we had another tasty day to celebrate. It's also been a long time since I've had onion rings so it is fortuitous to celebrate them today since they've been on my mind anyway. In the hierarchy of less-than-healthy sides French fries are the baseline, then come tater tots, and then the king of them all - onion rings. Sauces and seasonings may nudge this ranking a bit but this is basically how the universe has ordered things. I think we can all agree that Mac & Cheese is in a category of its own though. Onion rings are rich and crisp and delicious, surprisingly sweet for a flavor so often related to being spicy and the source of tears. But something about the process of breading them in a flavorful coating and deep-frying them in a vat of oil brings out the delicious flavors hidden inside. Onion rings come in towers and flowers, giant-sized and tiny, and they’re a fan favorite all around the world. There isn't a creature with taste buds on this planet that doesn't enjoy onion rings and fewer still who can abstain from eating themselves sick on these greasy treats. Given their association with fairs and burger joints, you may be surprised to learn that onion rings aren’t just an invention of the western world. There’s also evidence that people experimented with the idea of covering strips of onion with batter and deep-frying them in developing countries too. Historians have even found examples of onion ring-like recipes that date back as far as 1802 in John Mollard's cookbook The Art of Cookery Made Easy and Refined. Imagine onion rings being considered fine dining. Kind of makes you want to wear your best t-shirt the next time you go to Chili's, right? Despite their long cultural culinary history there are still restaurants all across the US in operation today that claim to be the originators of the idea. But that kind of claim is on par with hanging a "world's best coffee" sign in your window. Everyone knows its marketing BS but we can't help ourselves from suspending disbelief to feel that what we are stuffing ourselves with is somehow special. Anyway, Onion Rings Day is your opportunity to get out there and enjoy your favorite deep-fried savory treat. Your treat-of-choice need not be made of onions or even ring-shaped. Remember, onion rings were just the inspiration for many of the fried snacks and sides that we enjoy today. French fries, deep-fried brie, and fried chicken are all delicious alternatives that you can try if you fancy something different. And if you don't want a gut bomb that will make you take a two-hour nap later, you can always find healthier versions of those treats too. You can use a cleaner oil rather than lard; or bake them in the oven. Try a lighter batter or find something not bread-based to coat them in. There are so many options out there to try and enjoy that you can probably go the rest of your life without ever having the same things twice. I'm not going to say that there are as many or more combinations of friable foods, batters, seasonings, and sauces as there are possible chess moves, of which there are more than the all the atoms in the observable universe,...... But, it's close. But, as a reminder we are called Fit & Able here, and while we genuinely believe that anyone of any age, ability, or skill level can be fit and able, and while we certainly enjoy tasty, greasy treats on occasion, you do need to be mindful of what you're putting in your body.
Happy World Music Day! There’s nothing in the world like the sound of your favorite song coming on, it just gets right into your head and your body and makes you move. Some of our favorite songs can lift us up out of depression and worry, and make an otherwise horrible day suddenly seem like it’s not so bad. World Music Day celebrates music in all its forms and the impact it’s had on the world and the human spirit. Music has existed for as long as mankind has found its voice, and quite possibly before. Every culture of the world has its own form of music, as distinct and unique to its area as language, cuisine, and clothing. Whether it's just bashing a couple rocks together or full symphony orchestras, every culture and people has found away to express itself musically. Many of you can remember having to wait for your favorite songs to come on the radio or needing to swap out records, cassettes, 8-tracks, or CDs as your musical moods changed. Today we're spoiled with new tunes just a tap away or even letting an algorithm figure out what we want to listen to next. With the proliferation of music streaming services that allow artists of all kinds to be discovered worldwide we are now longer spoon-fed what the traditional recording label taste-makers think will sell best and we are able to fill out our playlists with a greater diversity of beautiful sound. Fun fact: in 2020 one of the fastest growing music genres on Spotify in the US was actually new styles of rap coming out of Africa. If we were still relying on Carson Daly and Total Request Live, then avant garde American teens would probably still be listening to the latest boy band clone. Music is not only a fantastic creative outlet, but it can also have many health benefits - both just by listening to it and the many things it can help you do while listening to it. Studies suggest that listening to music can have a number of positive effects on your health and mental wellbeing. Actually playing the music yourself has even greater benefits too. When you listen to a particular song it can help you feel more energized with the happy memories it triggers and relaxing music can even reduce anxiety and stress levels. You can even use music to help you focus on important tasks. But there are also physical benefits as well. When was the last time you worked out in dead silence? Probably never, right? The motivational benefits of music while exercising is so ingrained that you can't imagine a gym without blaring speakers or going for a run without your headphones. Having the right kind of music playing can help you keep your pace, pump out a few extra reps, and let you push a little harder than you did yesterday. Plus, it's like having your own soundtrack to your personal training montage. Music can also serve as our own personal time machine. Given the emotional relationship we have with music, certain songs can take us back to particular moments in our lives, whether good or bad. No doubt you can remember a song that you listened to on repeat while feeling down after a rough breakup or the song that you and your spouse danced to at your wedding. Hearing these songs, even decades later or in very different contexts, can immediately bring back those memories and we can momentarily tap into the emotions we felt then. But you have to be careful not to go down the emotional memory rabbit hole so make sure you have an unrelated hard-driving beat to pull you back into the present! I know I personally have wide-ranging tastes in music and definitely have go-to songs, albums, or playlists for any mood or activity. Things got really wild last year when YouTube's suggestion algorithms went into overdrive to keep people entertained and I was able to 'discover' a lot of new and cool music I wouldn't have come across before. Who knew that Mongolian heavy metal was a thing but its apparently pretty awesome.
Happy Sauntering Day! No, I did't just mumble "Happy Saturday" but I hope yours is off to a great start. I know you've got tons of great stuff planned for the day so I will keep this short. The world around us is moving at such a hectic pace that we often forget to slow down and smell the proverbial roses. We are even walking faster, putting every ounce of haste we can into what is otherwise the most leisurely mode of locomotion. How frustrating is it to get stuck behind someone you feel could be dusted by a turtle? But this day isn’t just an opportunity for us to remember to walk. It is, more importantly, an opportunity for us to take a genuinely relaxed tack to the day, and choose to saunter through it rather than sprint. Oddly enough we have speed craze to thank for this day. This holiday was formed by W.T. Rabe in 1979 as a response to the sworn enemy of the Saunter, jogging, which was starting to take off. The whole thinking behind the day was to get people to slow down a little and take more note of the world around them. To ‘saunter’ is ‘to walk along in a slow and relaxed manner.’ Jogging, in his view, was a grueling attack on the body. Rapidity and effort drained all the joy out of movement by making each step as painful as possible. Sauntering was, in his view, unquestionably superior. Rabe’s son once said, ‘Sauntering, as my father would say, is going from point X to point Z, which means you don’t care where you’re going, how you’re going, or when you might get there.’ The idea, he said, was to smell the roses and to pay attention to the world around you. You may be asking why a company called "Fit & Able" is promoting an activity that is the antithesis of jogging. BUT there's far more to this than just avoiding strenuous exercise. Taking it easy so you can be present in the moment, without concern for what lays ahead, will help you feel that the weight of the world has been lifted from your shoulders. You walk free from stress and strain and can focus on the pure joy of the act. It is more meditative and contemplative. You have the opportunity to experience life to the fullest instead of feeling puffed out and tired. Not only will you feel invigorated, but you may spot things you wouldn’t have noticed otherwise – the birds singing, the flowers blooming, or the unexpected love of your life brushing past you in the street. It is the antithesis of jogging – a painful act that robs you of your experience of the outside world, where you are focused on keeping up the face and your senses dulled by the repetitive pounding feet and heavy breathing. Your mind is so intent on reaching the end so that you can finally stop that you get tunnel vision that blocks out everything around you. That's not to say that jogging is bad for you by any means. But if it's all you do, especially when you are outside, then you very well may miss out on some of the wonderful things that enrich our world. As Henry David Thoreau said: “I think that I cannot preserve my health and spirits unless I spend four hours a day at least – and it is commonly more than that – sauntering through the woods and over the hills and fields, absolutely free from all worldly engagements.” What better day is there to go for a good saunter or even a meandering bike ride than a Saturday? Let the stresses of your week go and get primed for a great weekend. If you have any questions or topics you would like me to talk about in future videos, please drop a comment below or shoot me an email at info@fitandable.net! And, if you don't mind, please share this with your friends and family; they might hear something that helps them out. t! Thank you for racing with Fit & Able.
