The Longest Run

Since I'm still on the bench for running given my groin injury, I've been focused lately on spin classes. I've rearranged my weight training day so I can attend spin class three days a week - on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Today's class was the first I attended with a heart rate monitor, and the results were terrific. The five zones pictured above correspond to ranges of % of maximum heart rate. Zone 5 is 90-100%, Zone 4 is 80-89%, Zone 3 is 70-79%, Zone 2 is 60-69%, and Zone 1 is 50-59%. Knowing my heart rate zone during class helps motivate me to push into higher zones and also keeps me from kidding myself about how hard I'm working. Today's class was really tough, and though I never got into Zone 5, I did spend a fair amount of time in Zone 4 (more than 20 minutes). If you are committed to doing great cardio workouts, I suggest you consider a heart rate monitor. I have the Polar RS200 Heart Rate Monitor Watch (Black)

From the New York Times: Fitness Isn't An Overnight Sensation . Terrific article on the benefits of exercise and the commitment required to make a difference. Here's one great story from the article: Then there’s Charles Reilly, a federal prosecutor in Manhattan and a marathon runner who took a 10-year hiatus from the sport when he joined his local school board. He just did not have time to exercise, he said. Along with exercising less, he ate more. Soon he ballooned from 159 pounds to 282. “It came on gradually, but it came on,” Mr. Reilly said of the weight. On April 18, 2005, he had his last school board meeting — he’d decided not to run for any more terms. Eight days later, he went out for a run. “After half a mile, I had to stop and walk,” Mr. Reilly said. But he kept trying. A month later, he could run three miles without stopping. After three or four months, he says, he could run for five miles. By the end of 2006, he ran 10 miles. In the meantime, he also changed his di...

With the full race report still to come, an additional tidbit from the NYRR Queens Half-marathon: I finished the race in 1:56:44 - not my fastest time and not my slowest time. Would you believe an 89 (!) year-old finished in 1:48:06? That is amazing. How cool would it be to not only make it to 89 years old but to run a half-marathon at an 8:15 minutes/mile pace? I wonder what his secret is....

From the New York Times: Living Longer, In Good Health to The End . Very similar story to what was reported recently these articles from US News & World Reports .

From US News & World Reports: 3 Myths—and 1 Truth—About Running and Your Health . See also: Run For Your Life , which has a bit more background on the study used to set out the 3 myths and 1 truth. I love these quotes: Running delayed the onset of disability by an average of 16 year.....It's so important to be physically active your whole life, not just in your 20s or 40s, but forever.