I wanted to share a recipe I tried this weekend post-run. It's easy and delicious.

Is everyone still running/walking/exercising?

Congratulations to Mike Crowley, Plant Engineering, for completing this past Saturday's Hannibal Cannibal 5K Race in Hannibal, Missouri. The Cannibal's theme is "It will eat you up." Ask Mike about "Lover's Leap." And, see if you can find Mike here. Be patient and look at all the photos.

Now, here are some daily tips for an optimal workout.

Read more here about hydration during running/exercise.

Congratulations to Laura Ward, PACU, and Mike Crowley, Plant Engineering, for completing yesterday's "hot" Premier Bank 5K at Nichols Park!

Have you gotten high yet?
Please share.
I know I do!

Kevin

P.S. Training Team shirts are on hold. The safety green color is out of stock with no date for arrival. Our screen printer is looking for a similar color shirt.

Ever try running backwards?

Another local 5K race to consider:

The Nikki Reynolds 5K walk/run is Saturday June 30 in Franklin at 8 a.m. Retro run is the theme. Come dressed in your best retro gear and you may win a prize. $20 entry fee and the first 125 get t-shirts. Entry must be received by June 15 to guarantee your size.

Proceeds go to Nikki Reynolds Memorial Scholarship fund. Here is the entry form.

We'll be ordering the Passavant Training Team tech shirts (safety green) next week. Below is a list of those who completed the Passavant 5K and will receive a shirt. We'll use the size you selected for your Race shirt. If we've missed someone, please send me an email.

Brandi Bowman

Amber Grizzle

Liz Scott

Wendy Smith
Becky Hoaglin

Kristie Maro

Sheryl Roberts

Jill Trone
Monica Eoff

Robin Kruzan

Karen Sibert
Robin Talkemeyer
Laura Ward

Amy Lahey
Melissa Tattershall

Steve Lee

Elysia Riggs

Susan Beard

Patty Kircher

Cindy Ford

Karen Meado

Amanda Elliott

Sarah Boni

Thanks,

Kevin

You did it! Congratulations on completing the Passavant-Powerade 5K on Saturday! We even had a member of our group take home a first place medal!

Let's hear about your experiences. I hope you continue with your running/walking as part of your daily exercise routine. If you are interested in trying another 5K race, let me know. There are several options, including this Saturday's Virginia BBQ 5K at 8 a.m. and the Irish Days 5K in Farmersville on June 16. There's also the Premier Bank 5K on July 4 at Nichols Park.

It was great to be a part of the Passavant Training Team with you! We'll be ordering the Training Team shirts soon. I'll let you know when they arrive; allow at least a couple of weeks.

Check out Race photos and even a news story on our Facebook page.

As always, if you have any running/walking/exercise questions, please let us know (myself, Kristie, Mike, and Kris). We'll be glad to assist.

See you on the roads.

Kevin

Good luck to everyone on Saturday morning! Congratulations on your achievements! I've enjoyed our training sessions together.

Stop by Meeting Rooms 2 and 3 Friday to say hello to our special guest for the Race, Bill Rodgers. He'll be available from 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Here are some photos from our packet pick-up Thursday night in Springfield. You can also pick-up your packet in Meeting Room 4. We'll also offer packet pick-up from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. in the Main Lobby.

Be sure to drink plenty of fluids throughout the day on Friday and get plenty of rest. Arrive early to experience the race "atmosphere" and visit with your fellow runners.

Most importantly, when you cross the finish line, raise your arms high over your head. It's your victory!

Kudos to Laura Ward and Patty Kircher who joined me this morning for our group run. Outstanding performance! Looks like you are ready for the Race next weekend!

Lanette Goldsborough and Karen Sibert are doing 5K races this weekend. Lanette was at the Girls on the Run event in Springfield today, while Karen is at St. Louis Zoo 5K on Sunday.

I saw Sheryl Roberts running the course this morning on the way to the group run, and I also caught a glimpse of a former employee and now runner, Lou DeWitt, also on the Passavant course.

Don't forget, Monday is the last day to sign-up to be eligible to win the Garmin GPS unit.

Who's joining me tomorrow morning at 8 a.m.? Saturday is one week from the Passavant-Powerade 5K and 10K Race. We'll be covering the course tomorrow morning for 35 to 40 minutes. It should be a beautiful morning, and we'll be finished in plenty of time for you to head to the Downtown Celebration (be sure to check out the neat Passavant float!). After Saturday, we'll have one more session on Tuesday before the Race on May 26.

If you are battling nerves thinking about the race, reading this may help ease your mind.

I asked for updates from our team. Here's a message from Karen Meado:

KEVIN, HAVE BEEN TRAINING ON MY OWN AT HOME, HAD TO SLACK OFF A LITTLE BECAUSE MY KNEE WAS BOTHERING ME. GETTING BETTER AND IMPROVING MY TIMES LITTLE BY LITTLE. SEE YOU RACE DAY.   KAREN

Have a great weekend!

As we get closer to the Race on May 26, I hope everyone is seeing progress in their walking/running and is comfortable with the training.

Although it was a bit warm last night, our group kept pace for the 35-minute session. We'll do the same tomorrow and on Saturday morning.

We'd love to hear from the other employees who are training on their own. Let us know how it's going for you.


If you haven't signed up for the Race, don't wait too long! If you want a chance to win a Garmin GPS unit, you must enter by May 21.

Great job last night runners! We're down to 1 minute breaks between running. The 1-minute walk break will be used until the end of the training. For fun, we might reduce the walk break to 30-45 seconds a couple of times during training.

Don't forget to sign-up for the Race. You can do it here, or in the Community Relations Department. If you register by May 21, you'll be eligible to win a Garmin GPS unit ($200 value).

For the Passavant Training Team shirt, it looks like we'll go with a "safety green" shirt. It has "neon" qualities and is good for being seen while out on the road. I've got one that I wear for my early morning runs.

And, finally, here's a great story on why breakfast is so important, especially for runners.

See you tomorrow at 4:45 p.m.

See everyone tomorrow afternoon at 4:45 p.m. We'll walk for one minute and run for three minutes and do eight sets for a total of 32 minutes.

This story about the Passavant Race was in the Sunday edition of The State Journal-Register.

Kudos to our runners who joined me this morning. We beat the heat! I hope everyone's training is going smoothly. If you couldn't make it this morning, you might consider an early evening session, near sunset.

All runners who complete the Passavant 5K receive a technical running shirt. We'll have a left chest logo (see above) on the front of the shirt. Here's the fun part: you decide the color of the shirt. E-mail me your color choice. The color with the most votes wins. The color of the logo with be either black or white, depending on the shirt color. I need to know your color choice by next Wednesday, May 9.

This week we increase our time to 30 minutes with two minutes of walking and three minutes of running times six sets. Mike Crowley is leading the group tonight. Temperature will be close to 80, so please hydrate before and after the workout (water, water, water; no caffeine, no sodas).

We had a great training session this past Saturday. Weather was ideal with overcast skies and cool temperatures. Those who participated wanted to do an extra set. Good job!

Thursday's weather forecast is calling for temperatures at or above 90 degrees. That's too hot. To replace the 4:45 p.m. session, I'll be at the hospital at 6 a.m. Thursday morning for those who want to get in their training under cooler conditions. If we start at 6 a.m. sharp, we should be finished by 6:40 a.m. Remember, Fitness World (directly south of the Passavant campus) has showers available. Just tell them you are part of the hospital's training team.

I hope everyone is benefiting from these training sessions. If you have questions (about anything running), please ask!

Congratulations to the runners last night who walked extra following the scheduled 25 minutes. In fact, the group completed the Passavant 5K course. Thanks to Kristie for leading the group. We'll be back tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. Good news, the weather forecast calls for only a 10 percent chance of rain.

The Passavant-Powerade Race is now less than a month away. Here's some great insight into the "mental" aspects of running, courtesy of Susan Paul at Runner's World:

Training programs focus on mileage and the physical fitness required of the targeted distance, but don't address the mental toughness that is also required—especially on race day. Racing makes us face ourselves. It's a reality check akin to standing in front of the mirror naked, and we all know how much fun that is!

Race anxiety gets to all of us, no matter how long we’ve been racing. For newcomers, the fear of being last or not being able to finish is powerful. On race morning I often feel like I have an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other, like an old fashioned cartoon. Just knowing that all athletes experience race anxiety to some degree may help you battle your demons.

The good news is that I’ve found once the start gun goes off, the "voices" disappear, and I’m just running. I am not thinking about running, I am running—which is a big difference. Physical movement helps be focused on the moment. Be aware of your pace, other runners, the road, your breathing and you may find nagging doubts are drowned out. The race forces me to be "in the moment", as Oprah says, and she's right; it's a beautiful thing. Being in the moment, to me, is the beauty of racing. Here are some suggestions for building confidence before a race:

Trust your training
Have a training plan for your targeted race and follow it—just like doing your homework and studying before an exam. Yes, you will be nervous, but so is everyone else!

Positive self-talk
Plan now what you will say to chase away the demons. Think about your negative self-talk and specifically address it. Afraid of not finishing? Know you have gone that distance in training many times. Fear of being last? Well, so what if you are? Someone is going to be the last one in and it's better to have run the race than not to have run at all, isn't it? And with so many people walking races these days, I doubt you will be the last one in.

Use visualization
Imagine race morning. Go through the entire process of getting up, getting ready, driving to the race, and practice saying positive things to yourself. Visualize warming up, lining up, starting the race, pacing yourself, and crossing the finish line. Also visualize any glitches that may come up in the race like a shoe coming untied, muscle cramps, etc. and make a plan about what you will do. Plan walking for a moment, relaxing, taking deep breaths, and continue running when you are ready.

Focus on yourself
Go "inward" before the race. Focus on your breathing, heart rate and how you feel. Go through your usual run routine and ignore those around you. Some runners rely on iPods to block out other conversations before a race to stay calm and focused. Find what works for you.

Make a Race Strategy
Having a race strategy allows you to approach the race on your terms. Plan your start pace, walk breaks you may want to take, your goal run pace, and also how you will adjust if your plans don't unfold the way you thought they would. Plan for slowing down should you need too, have several time goals in mind (Goal A, B, and C). Figure out what is working for you and what isn't so you can prepare for the next race.

Training and racing is a learning process; our bodies and fitness levels are constantly changing, so the process is ever evolving. The more you know about yourself, the better prepared you will be to handle whatever comes your way. You were tough enough to ask the question, so I know you are tough enough to race!

Kristie Maro is leading tonight's group at 4:45 p.m. Tonight's session is 25 minutes using 2 minutes of walking and three minutes of running. Since it will be warm again today, please make sure to hydrate before and after the session. Here are some guidelines to follow, courtesy of Karen Sibert:



Have fun tonight! See you Saturday morning at 8.

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a great weekend.

This week we cut our total time back to 25 minutes, but increase our run time to three minutes. We'll walk for two minutes, followed by three minutes of running for five sets.

For those who are training on their own schedule, let us know how it's going. What time are you training? Are you training with a partner? Questions?

As a reminder, you may register for the Passavant-Powerade 5K Race at any time. You have two options: on-line or in the Community Relations Department.

Rehabilitation Services is open tonight at 5:30 p.m. for those who want to do cross training. Kris is covering a baseball game and will not be available. Contact us if you need suggestions for some cross training exercises.

Here's an interview with Bill Rodgers, our special guest at this year's Passavant-Powerade 5K and 10K on May 26.

See everyone tomorrow at 4:45 p.m.

See everyone tonight at 4:45 p.m. Looks like another beautiful afternoon. Be sure to hydrate before we start.

Also, for those training before/after work and need a shower, Fitness World Health Club is allowing us to utilize their facilities. They open at 5 a.m. weekdays, 8 a.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. on Sunday.

I hope everyone was able to complete their Saturday training session later in the day or on Sunday. Sunday was a beautiful day to run. The combination of overcast skies, decent temperatures, and a constant breeze made it ideal.

Rehab Services is open at 5:30 p.m. today for those who want to get in some cross training. We're back on the road tomorrow at our new Tuesday time of 4:45 p.m. It's week three. We'll do the same 3-minute walk/2-minute run combination, but increase the sets from 5 to 6 for a total of 30 minutes.

Next to the Olympics, running's premiere event is the Boston Marathon. The 2012 event was this morning. Here's the recap. Kristie Maro finished the Boston Marathon in 2007.

Thanks to Mike Crowley for leading the team last night. It was a great afternoon!

Let me know how you feel about the warm-up exercises/stretching. Mike said everyone seem to be more comfortable with a fast walk to get warmed-up. Now that you know some of the warm-up exercises, perhaps you can stretch on your own, if that works for you. It's important to remember that each runner is different. What works for one, doesn't necessarily work for another.

Next week, we'll move to 4:45 p.m. for both sessions on Tuesday and Thursday. That will make it a little easier to remember. As always, if you can't make a group session, you have the schedule to do the training as your time allows.

Any questions, feedback, etc.? Let us know.

See you tomorrow at 8 a.m. Rehabilitation Services will be open Monday at 5:30 p.m.

And now for some fun reads on running, courtesy of Runner's World's RW Daily.

Kevin

Runners, good job this afternoon! How did you like our extra five minutes of training? The wind can make a difference. We'll do the same Thursday at 4:45 p.m. and Saturday at 8 a.m.

Mike Crowley is leading the group on Thursday. Don't forget to toss in some cross training tomorrow. Kris will have Rehab Services open at 5:30 p.m.

And now for a little inspiration.

Week one is complete! How's it going for you? Questions? Suggestions?

We had a good turnout for our first morning session today (one of our team members even got in a little "extra" training after our session was complete). It was 40 degrees at the start with a light wind. Several participants mentioned the uncomfortableness of the cold temperatures. Remember to dress as if it's 20 degrees warmer. It's good to be cold at the start. You'll warm -up quickly!

Next week we increase our time to 25 minutes with a combination of three minutes of walking and two minutes of jogging times five sets. Consider a cross-training activity either Sunday or Monday. Kris will be in Rehabilitation Services at 5:30 p.m. on Monday for those who want to explore some cross training activities.

See you Tuesday at 5:15 p.m.

Kevin

Kris has checked in to reply to Peggy's question about shin splints:

Putting some ice/cold packs on the shins after exercise is also a good idea to calm things down from the exercise completed. For everyone, it is more the idea that you are lifting the toes/front of foot off of the floor to work the muscles in the front of the calf area. A good exercise to continue is walking a certain distance on your toes/balls of feet and then turn around and walk on your heels back to your starting position. During the day, a person can stand and raise their heels off the floor for a particular number and then raise their toes/balls of feet off the floor for the same number of repetitions as their heel raises. Anyone that has issues with the so-called shin splint problem, we need to check your ability to balance and also leg/hip and core strength. Weakness in any of those areas can cause excess stress in numerous areas. Anyone that is having any sort of issues, please talk with me so we can stop things before they get worse/more serious.

Good job last night!

Patti Kircher asked how far we went last night. Since my GPS watch is currently out of order, my best guess is just short of one mile. I hope to have the watch back next week so we can measure the distance of each session.

Also, Trevor Huffman has given us the OK to use the weight training equipment in Rehabilitation Services. We hope to have details (days and times available) next week. Light weight training is a good cross training activity.

For those who can make it, see you tomorrow at 8 a.m. 

Best wishes to everyone for a Happy Easter!

Kevin

Good job runners and walkers! Day one in our 8-week training is complete. We'll meet again Thursday at 4:45 p.m. near the Emergency Department entrance. It will be the same routine of walking 4 minutes followed by 1 minute of jogging for four sets.

Consider a cross-training activity for days between the scheduled training. Cross-training may include swimming, cycling, light weight lifting, or a walk.

Thank you!

Thanks for attending today's meeting. You are an enthusiastic group! I'm excited to get started!

Be sure to check here or your hospital email for Passavant Training Team updates.

Here are time reminders:

Tuesdays at 5:15 p.m.

Thursdays at 4:45 p.m.
Saturdays at 8:00 a.m.

We'll meet outside the Emergency Department entrance.

Here's the "wet foot test" that Mike Crowley discussed. This will help determine your foot type.

And, here's the Springfield Running Center. Click on the "foot type" link. They make specific shoe recommendations based upon your foot type.

Questions?
Extension 5858

kevin.eckhoff@passavanthospital.com

See you tomorrow for day one!