The Fit & Focused Blog

If you’re like me, pre-race nerves start to make their presence felt about two weeks prior to any fitness competition.

(This past Saturday marked two weeks from the Sun Multisport Cranberry Trifest in Lakeville, Mass.  If you're just hearing about the event, it’s not too late to sign up –register here). 

THIS IS COMMON – our minds are built to help us survive and an athletic competition surfaces our deepest primal feelings and emotions.  But I subscribe to the concept that preparation is the best remedy for nerves. If you’re wondering how to calm those nerves and stay confident in yourself, reflect on the two aspects of your life you’ve no doubt made sacrifices around during your training:

Staying fit and focused for my family involves creating the frameworks they'll use to maintain their lifelong fitness strategy.  One technique that's worked well for me is a running calendar.  Easy to follow and always there as motivation, the family running calendar is s reliable tool for creating those lifelong fitness habits.

As part of your goal of staying fit and focused for family, it's important not to lose sight of your fitness goals amidst the endless distractions of Summer.  Last night RaceWire emailed me about the South Shore Half Marathon in November (RaceWire's events are awesome - I did their Lake Placid Marathon back in June) and I thought it was a great way of getting something on the calendar to keep focus my fitness goals.  Now I have something to work toward, which is a HUGE part of a lifelong fitness strategy.

Summer is in full swing and the New England coast has so many pristene vacation spots.  And while vacation should include lots of BBQ and cocktails, one key to a lifelong fitness strategy is making time for exercise.  The last week of July is my annual trip to Martha's Vineyard with my in-laws and here are the ways I'm staying fit and focused for my family on vacation.

When you're thinking about how do I keep my family fit and focused, it can be challenging coming up with fresh ideas, activities, locations, etc.