You’ve thought about it, and now that it’s the end of March and Springtime weather just can’t be that far off, at least in the northeast,-we hope! You’ve made up your mind to get yourself in shape to take on your first triathlon. You’ve done some quick internet checking and are frankly pretty amazed at just how many triathlons there are in the northeastern part of the U.S. and with a little help, your shooting for the month of June, which is about 12 weeks out. So, 3 months is not a lot of time to prepare for this “Bucket-List” goal, but it is achievable. Like we said above, with a little help.

And the training just might be a bit easier than you think, even if you're currently not in the best of shape, after spending most of the winter watching “Netflix” while sitting on the couch. But, we are here to help and listed below are a few of what we feel are the must-haves to help you compete in your first triathlon. And these recommendations, won’t cost you, your bank savings, or take all of your time away from those episodes of your favorite shows, well maybe a little time away, but you’ve got “TiVo” right??

The Essential Gear
You do need some basic equipment for your first triathlon. This equipment doesn't have to be expensive and it can be borrowed to save money:

Swimsuit, goggles, and I recommend a cap if you have long hair. Now, this depends on the course that you're signing up for. The earlier in the year, a swimsuit is a great idea. It will help to keep the cold at bay. However, if you're participating at a time of the year when the waters are already getting warm, you can probably skip this item. But I would recommend using the goggles to keep the water out of your eyes to be able to see where you’re going as your swimming the allotted course. This should also help you with your time in the water!

A bicycle that fits you and is in good working order. This can be a road bike, a mountain bike or a hybrid, really the sky's the limit, along with the size of your wallet. You can use a time trial bike if you have one, or have access to one, but a special triathlon or time trial bicycle is not necessary. Again, I have found it worthwhile to work with the local shops. First, they appreciate your business, and also, the staff working in these home-grown businesses, usually use what they sell. You should be able to get some good advice on how to properly fit you for the bike for your body structure. And you never know, they might offer you a discount if you wear one of their custom jerseys during the event to help market their shop!

Cycling shorts for training. A decent pair of cycling shorts, worn sans underwear, can make riding more comfortable, and they help prevent saddle sores.
You can use clipless pedals and cycling shoes, but these are not a "must have" item.
You also want to keep in mind how often you’re going to undertake these races. If your going to be doing a couple of them a year, then invest in the clipless pedals and shoes, in the long run, they can help you shave some time off your race.

A water bottle for use on your long bike rides. But regardless, it’s a good idea to have one with you, and filled with either water or for longer and tougher endurance triathlons one with an energy booster like Nuun Active Electrolyte Tablets  These energy laced tablets are loaded with electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals to help you stay properly hydrated throughout your race day, while your training or just going out to explore new trails!

Running Shoes, a good, fitted pair. You don't have to spend $200 to get a great pair of shoes, but you do need a pair of shoes that are made for running and that fit your feet. The best resource for shoes is a local running store. Make sure their staff is knowledgeable and can not only fit your foot for the proper size but have the ability to analyze your pressure points, preferably with an "In-Store" treadmill.  You may pay a bit more for this kind of specialized fitting, but in the long run (get the pun here?) it will be worth it!

How Much Time??
If your fitness has been dormant for quite a while, it's good to give yourself those 12 weeks to get in shape and minimize the chances of injury, this is really the minimum. These triathlon events really do take a lot out of you and you need to be back in condition to be able to tackle these events. In 12 weeks you can condition tendons, ligaments and your endurance so that you can enjoy the race. If you can commit to training five days per week—two and a half to four hours per week—that's plenty of time to get in shape.

Yes, that's right, no more than around four hours in the biggest training week.

Weekday workouts need only be 30 to 45 minutes and weekends can be used to build your endurance. Your longest workout, a bike ride, only needs to be between one and a half to two hours. Now again, these are really the minimums in order to get you to perform in a way that you’re not going to end up short come race day. That’s the last thing you want to have happened.

Out of the five weekly workouts, make two of them swim workouts. Now, this takes for granted that you’ve been in a pool before and have access to one to get you through your training for this event. If you haven’t been “Wet” for a while it’s a good idea to pace yourself through this 12-week course to get yourself built up to where you can, at the end of the 3 months be able to swim (10) 50 yards/meters, laps in the pool and be taking 20-30 second windbreaks in between each 50 yd. leg. In the beginning, you may need to rest for a full minute between each 50, and that’s ok, you’re going to be building yourself up so you can build up your endurance.

Make two more of the workouts run-to-bike combination workouts to build endurance and minimize injury risk.

Sample combination workouts
Combo Workout #1: (Run 1 minute, Walk 1 minute) x 5, then ride a bike for 30 minutes at an easy, conversational intensity. (Zone 1 to 2 for those with a heart rate monitor.) You can even do this workout at the gym.

And if you do have or are looking to get yourself a good Activity/Training watch. One with a “Heart Rate Monitor”. The one I like is the Garmin Forerunner 920XT Multisport GPS Watch 
This watch is water friendly, GPS to track your distance accurately and let you know where you are in relation to the course you’re on. It offers a high-resolution color display, with a flexible band that is easy to wear, and the activity tracking feature measures your steps, and even your sleep, when the training ends and you hit the sheets. This is a great Tri-Athletic training watch, as it will provide you with real-time data as you go about getting yourself ready for the big race day! Did I mention that it also provides a standard “Watch” mode so you can wear it all day long as well?

Plan to Rest
When learning how to train for a triathlon, it's tempting to add more and more circuits of training, but the body makes advances in fitness with a balance of stress and rest.

If you're planning your own training schedule, be sure to add recovery days and reduced volume rest weeks to allow your body to rebuild and get stronger. Remember, even a farmer left his plow-horse rest on Sundays, so they could benefit from a day of rest before they started their workload all over again!

Nutrition also plays a big part in providing the right combination of fuels to power your body through the vigorous demands you're going to be putting it through. For now, we’re going to leave that topic for another blog post, but eating the right balance of protein, good carbs and drinking enough fluids is important as you go through this training regimen of preparing your body for your first triathlon.

Get ready, Get Set, Train!

Ok, we get it. The cold winter winds of January are blowing outside, well, maybe not really, but it is colder than you would like it to be. But are you using the cold as an excuse to dial back on, or putting off your exercise routine now that it gets dark earlier, and a little frosty outside?

Well, whether you know it or not. Since Christmas, the daylight is taking a rebound, and each day will see a minute or two more of sunlight. Yes, the natural order of things is still working. And that means you can count on the high summer sunshine to bring that heat come July and August in the northern hemisphere, and sooner if you pass through Florida and places south.

If you want to make sure you look good in that suit this coming summer, and not embarrass yourself so that you need to have one of those 3 sizes too big t-shirts on, as you’re walking down the sands of the beach. You need to get yourself in gear and commit to working on getting that body toned and defined so you feel confident as you walk down that beach, who knows, you may even turn a head or two as you walk by. That is of course if they’re looking for all the right reasons and not looking at you because there is soooo much of you!

It may be the middle of January but before you know it, it’s going to be time to book that vacation to sunny places. And with January here, you have 6 months before most of us are thinking about getting “This Year’s” swimsuit! For the procrastinators, who put off dialing up the exercise routines, the time to think about a spray-on-tan will be here before you know it!

So, what do you do? Well, if you’ve been working out now and then during the warmer months of the year. Nothing has really changed. If that is, you used to go to the gym on a regular basis. But maybe with the holiday season that just ended, so did your gym membership. Well, you need to do what you did last year and shop around. But you need to hurry, because most of the gym membership sales will soon be going off. After all, they are geared to taking advantage of all those New Year resolutions that have just been made and offering their memberships at a low discount rate, at least for the first 1-3 months.

So go and shop around if your workout routine means taking advantage of all that in-house weight reduction equipment. But if you are a workout at home type of person. Who has a few weights at home but use them mainly to help give your muscles some tone, and are usually hitting the streets, or mountain paths on a running or jogging routine. Then you don’t need to worry about looking for any membership incentives. Your whole incentive is just plain getting yourself back in shape so you won’t be embarrassed when that guy kicks that sand in your face out on the beach.

Planning: Nothing just happens, if you’re working towards the goal of getting yourself back in great shape in time for the summer sunshine, you need to “Plan for it!” If you’re going to a gym, plan ahead on what your routine is going to be and then get in there and do it! You need to make yourself accountable for the time and money your spending at that “Meat” processing plant. Cause that’s just what it really is. A good gym processes the raw material (your body) into a finished product. In your case, a well-defined, toned muscle based package that will be ready for the beach come July, early June if you really work at it.

Most gyms will give you the option to meet with a physical trainer, take advantage of this and ask questions and inform, him/her what your goals are, and what they recommend for the best machine circuit to help you achieve your goal. Pay attention to them, after all, this is what they get paid to do. And it might be a good idea to get on their good side, this way, they are more likely to offer some free advice if they see you are really trying to make good on their recommendations!

Accountability: This is the "keyword" in your whole arsenal of getting fit. You need to plan for that goal of getting your body in better shape and you need to have a tool that will track your daily routines so you can see your progress or lack thereof. The best way to go about this is with a good Activity Watch or one that provides a Heart Rate Monitor so you can see just how well your body is performing based on the amount of stress and physical activity you are subjecting it to.

One that I like and recommend to anyone who is serious about getting themselves in good overall shape is the Garmin Forerunner 920XT Multisport GPS Watch The Forerunner 920 offers the most advanced training features into one unit, like VO2 Max, running dynamics, and live tracking. The 920xt even has smart notifications to keep you connected on the run!

Another great, accurate Activity Monitor that also has a wrist-based heart rate monitor is the Garmin Vivoactive HR Strapless Heart Rate SmartWatch Your every active moment like running, swimming, (indoor pool naturally), and skiing is carefully monitored with built-in sports apps. With smart notifications, the status of these activities will be displayed on the colored touchscreen of this smartwatch. Apart from vigorous workouts, it also silently collects information like daily steps, floors climbed, sleep cycles and intensity minutes.

Taking your body-makeover routines seriously means a commitment on your part to follow through with making this fitness regimen a part of your normal, daily activity. Only in this way will you stay the course of getting your body in the shape you are looking for when that sunlight shines down on you, while you're enjoying those sandy beaches!

So, are YOU committed to getting that body of yours ready for summer? 

I know I am!

How about it, have you started enjoying those holiday meals and parties just a little too much, yet? We know that the holiday times of year usually starts off with that Thanksgiving feast. And who’s to blame you for tackling all that food that you only have the opportunity to enjoy at this time of year. But maybe, just maybe that first helping unleashed a craving for everything you enjoy about eating your holiday favorites. Not that it’s a bad thing, but for some of us, we simply cannot say no to that second helping or taking a supply of left-overs home with us to make both us, and mom happy that you enjoy her food, and you do, maybe just a little too much!

However, if you give in to eating more than you know you should be doing this time of year, it may not be too long before you start leaving that top button on your shirt collar unbuttoned, or finding that you need to squeeze into those pair of pants or skirt that only a month or two ago, fit like they were made for you. That’s got to be a big wake up call, one that you should be paying attention to and not chalking it off to well, it’s that time of year and I’ll put things to right after the holidays are past.

You aren’t destined to gain those holiday pounds you know. In fact, with the right types of exercise and planning already worked into your holiday schedule, you can maintain your fitness and waistline, while still enjoying time with family and friends. We are going to list a few things you can do to enable you to stay on track throughout the holiday season, and avoid backsliding with your health and fitness.

If you’re going to be traveling to and fro this holiday season. Planning ahead of time to have some sort of schedule of when and where you can work in your exercise routines can go a long way of keeping you focused on what your priorities are. Which also helps in keeping you aware of the fact that you want to maintain the progress you’ve worked so hard on throughout the year. After all, why would you want to put the brakes to your exercise routines and eating habits, which were part of your commitment to getting in better shape? When during a few short weeks at the end of the year, can find yourself sabotaging not only your fitness routines, but also your waistlines.

Keeping yourself on track isn’t always an easy thing, especially at this time of year. It might be a good idea to get yourself an early Christmas present. One that you can use now, and every day this year and for years to come. No, I’m not talking about a new pair of exercise shoes or a new exercise outfit. What I’m talking about is a good multifunction Activity Watch. There are many out there but one that fits the bill now, and when that sun starts to rise earlier and stay brighter later in the day and evenings is an Activity Monitor that performs tracking on multiple conditions of sports activities. I’m suggesting the Garmin Forerunner 920XT Multisport GPS Watch . It can help you be aware of what you need to do in between all the holiday visiting and partying and help you stay on track with your exercises that still need to be done, even at this festive time of the year. Then after the holidays, it can help you continue to accomplish your goals of maintaining your fitness regimen along with proper nutrition. And when the seasons turn to a warmer time of year that allows you to Bike and Swim the Forerunner 920 can be with you then, through all your different activities. It offers the most advanced training features into one unit, like VO2 Max, running dynamics, and live tracking. The 920xt even has smart notifications to keep you connected, on the run outside or in the gym!

During this time of year, you may find it’s possible to hit the gym or get outside and do some running, jogging or walking early in the morning, before your hectic day even starts. This way, if you get into the groove of an early start, you can accomplish your exercise routines without it interfering with your busy daytime commitments, which seem to escalate during this time of year. And remember, if you’re traveling and can’t get to your gym, that’s still no excuse for not exercising. In fact, you can still get a great workout in, using just your bodyweight. Bodyweight workouts can be done anywhere using little to no equipment, and usually, take 20 minutes or less.

For example, set a timer for 20 minutes and see how many times you can go through the following circuit:
10 Burpees > 20 Mountain Climbers > 30 Jumping Jacks > 40 reps jumping rope > 30 Jump Squats > 20 Pushups > 10 Reverse Lunges.

Except for the jumping rope and jacks, these can be done in any hotel/motel room, if done quietly! And it’s just enough to get the heart pumping and your muscles toned to start or finish the day

And remember, you may not have an hour at this time of year to devote to your exercise routines, but even 10-15 minutes at a time can be beneficial. And remember, some exercise is better than no exercise at all!

Now we know that at this time of year we would be labeled a “Grinch” if we told you to NOT eat those favorite foods that only come around for most of us at this time of year. But we’ve said it before and we can’t stress it enough. “Moderation” is a key element that you and everyone need to adopt and OWN during this time of year! It’s ok to have a helping of that holiday food, Aunt Mary dished out, but take a helping, albeit, a small helping so you have your taste and memory in tack and be satisfied that you did not deprive yourself.

If you keep in mind all the hard work you did this past year in getting your lifestyle turned around to a healthier one, and make “Moderation” your new keyword. You should be able to get through the holidays without too much damage. And maybe, just maybe you won’t have to invest in a larger pair of pants, slacks, or skirts, let alone one of those button extenders for your shirt collar.
Happy Holiday Season from the gang here at HeartRateMonitorsUSA.com!

Than Your Fitness Watch Should Be ON Your Wrist, NOT Left In A Drawer!

I know, most everyone from time to time has tried to get on the fitness treadmill. But there always seems to be something that takes you off that healthy track and into the “Jungle of Guilt” where you’ve labored for a while, even though your intentions were good, you slipped over to the “Dark Side” of eating those “Fatty Foods” again and seeing yourself entering the movie theater instead of going inside your gym.

Some of us have used incentives to motivate ourselves into getting healthy by purchasing the latest and greatest fitness watch, aka… Activity Monitor. Sure, you made sure it has all the bells and whistles, even has a heart rate monitor too, cause you’re gonna make sure you're working out to your fullest.

But you soon find out that even the best fitness monitors are like gym memberships. In the beginning, their shiny, new and you like showing it off as you work out, especially when you're amongst your fellow “Grunters and Sweaters” at the gym. Then, three months later you find that the novelty wears off and you realize that you haven't developed the body of a chiseled athlete and bit by bit you're visits to the gym are getting less frequent.

Well, you’re not alone, there are stats out there that show that most people, who make the purchase of an activity monitor whether it be a Gamin, or a Fitbit,  or some other popular fitness device, actually stop using them within the first 6 months!

So, how do you fix it so that you’re not one of the fitness wannabe’s out there that has their fitness watch laying alongside their old Timex? The answer is really simple. It’s all about what you want and your commitment to getting there. You need to approach your new fitness tracker, no matter the brand, (Naturally we like the two Brands we’ve spotlighted named above) with the right mindset!

Remember, just because you've strapped a tracker onto your wrist, doesn't mean you're going to get fit. What you've got here is a tool, and if used correctly, it can be a great, even life changing tool to aid you in staying motivated.

But if you asked us for our own personal favorite, we think the Garmin Forerunner 920XT Multisport GPS Watch  fits our purpose, quite nicely. It’s a multi-function activity tracker, so whether you run, bike, walk, jog or even swim laps or take a dive out in the ocean. This activity tracker does just what it says it will do. Track your Activity, period! It also monitors your running dynamics, which includes tracking your cadence, vertical oscillation and ground contact time. Yep, we are talking an advance tool but also one that can easily be worn during your workday, or social outing because it looks great on your wrist!

But this activity watch, like any other tracking device, Is NOT a replacement for your own desire to succeed. You may have been thinking about getting in shape for months or even years but you simply did nothing about it. You may have even made multiple attempts before this to get in shape, even purchasing other exercise devices to help get you there. Just like the rowing machine, set of free weights or that yoga mat you bought, but the reality is, if you don't interact with it and use it, it won't help! If you accept from the outset that the hard work and a lifestyle change is still down to you, you'll have more success.

Most fitness trackers come with preset step goals. Your current lifestyle might mean you can hit these targets with ease. But we all know doing what you've always done isn't going to bring about the change you're looking for. Use the tracker for a week and see how you compare and then change the targets to be more demanding.

At the same time make a list of the times during your day when you realistically have the opportunity to add in more steps. This will help you understand where you might need to make bigger changes for greater impact.

Challenge yourself or Ramp up your daily activities. Once you've made your list, it's time to work out how to change your behavior. One big problem with fitness trackers is that they'll sit there recording what you do all day but won't actually have any effect on your daily habits. One way to change that is to create micro targets during the day. Walk more steps on the way to work or at lunch.
Challenge yourself to walk at least 100 steps per hour. These small targets and goals help you focus during the day rather than just drifting to the an-end-of-day total.
In order to boost fitness and stay healthy, it's important to avoid being sedentary for long periods of time. Worse than that, sitting for long periods of time can actually increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer. So if you’re like a lot of us, you spend your days sitting at a desk only getting up for lunch and the occasional coffee or heaven forbid a soda, diet or regular,  please note, both are NOT good for you, so, this is one habit to change.

Moving for five minutes every hour has been proven to aid overall wellbeing and fend off some of the bad habits mentioned above. Many of the latest fitness trackers including those from Garmin and Fitbit come with handy reminders. Make sure these are set to on and don't ignore them. Use your hourly strolls away from your desk as an excuse to go get a drink of water for a healthy double dose of good.

The bottom line on all of this is, the activity monitor of your choice, (we’ve picked our favorite lines above) are meant to make you aware of your progress, or lack thereof, in order for you to improve your health. But you need to accept the fact that you are responsible for YOU.

At HeartRateMonitorsUSA.com, we are here for you to help you achieve a life goal of being healthy. Feel free to send us an email, to let us know we are helping you in changing up your lifestyle habits. We hope WE ARE!

Your friends in attaining good health. The staff here at HeartRateMonitorsUSA.com.