Sea Point training Run by cassthetrainer at Garmin Connect - Details

Sea Point training Run by cassthetrainer at Garmin Connect - Details 
Click on the link above to view all details

Nice easy training run on a cold sunday winter's morning!

Emotional Eating

Whats is Emotional Eating?             
Emotional eating is the practice of consuming large amounts of food - usually "comfort" or junk foods, in response to feelings instead of hunger. Experts estimate that 75% of overeating is caused by emotions.
Many of us learn that food can bring comfort, at least in the short-term. As a result, we often turn to food to heal emotional problems. Eating becomes a habit preventing us from learning skills that can effectively resolve our emotional distress.
Depression, boredom, loneliness, chronic anger, anxiety, frustration, stress, problems with interpersonal relationships and poor self-esteem can result in overeating and unwanted weight gain.

By identifying what triggers our eating, we can substitute more appropriate techniques to manage our emotional problems and take food and weight gain out of the equation.

How Can I Identify Eating Triggers?

Situations and emotions that trigger us to eat fall into five main categories.

• Social. Eating when around other people. For example, excessive eating can result from being encouraged by others to eat; eating to fit in; arguing; or feelings of inadequacy around other people.
• Emotional. Eating in response to boredom, stress, fatigue, tension, depression, anger, anxiety or loneliness as a way to "fill the void."
• Situational. Eating because the opportunity is there. For example, at a restaurant, seeing an advertisement for a particular food, passing by a bakery. Eating may also be associated with certain activities such as watching TV, going to the movies or a sporting event, etc.
• Thoughts. Eating as a result of negative self-worth or making excuses for eating. For example, scolding oneself for looks or a lack of will power.
• Physiological. Eating in response to physical cues. For example, increased hunger due to skipping meals or eating to cure headaches or other pain.

To identify what triggers excessive eating in you, keep a food diary that records what and when you eat as well as what stressors, thoughts, or emotions you identify as you eat. You should begin to identify patterns to your excessive eating fairly quickly.

How Do I Break Myself of the Habit?

Identifying eating triggers is the first step; however, this alone is not sufficient to alter eating behavior. Usually, by the time you have identified a pattern, eating in response to emotions or certain situations has become a habit. Now you have to break that habit.
Developing alternatives to eating is the second step. When you start to reach for food in response to a trigger, try one of the following activities instead.

• Read a good book or magazine or listen to music.
• Go for a walk or jog.
• Take a bubble bath.
• Do deep breathing exercises.
• Play cards or a board game.
• Talk to a friend.
• Do housework, laundry or yard work.
• Wash the car.
• Write a letter.
• Or do any other pleasurable or necessary activity until the urge to eat passes. (MedicineNet.com)

Itheko Slave Route Challenge by cassthetrainer at Garmin Connect - Details

Itheko Slave Route Challenge by cassthetrainer at Garmin Connect - Details

I ran Itheko's Running Clubs first race yesterday. It was an awesome route...Tough though, with one hill that literally had me & all the other runners with our hands on our knees, climbing it slowly but steady. Just to give you an example...it took me 7 minutes to run that km :-) but the stunning weather made up for that tough hill.

Click on the link above to view my race. Garmin 310xt

Cass

UWC 10km by cassthetrainer at Garmin Connect - Details

UWC 10km by cassthetrainer at Garmin Connect - Details

My first race with the Garmin Forerunner 310XT. Click on the Link above to watch my race and see my splits.

Garmin 310XT

If your a Runner no matter which distances you run, you will want to get yourself a Garmin Forerunner. I've been running for over 13 years & I've used Nike, Casio & Timex Iron Man watches through my Two Oceans and Comrades Marathons but nothing compares to the new Garmin Technology.

I recently bought myself a Garmin 310XT & it has made my running so much more enjoyable. I get to plot my races on the Internet, i don't have to worry about looking out for km boards in races so I have to punch in my time at every km board. It's literally start / stop...that's it! The watch does the rest.

How it works!
It gets a satellite signal so it knows exactly Where you are running. No more guessing how many km's you run during training because it measures you distance when you run. It also has a Virtual Pace setter which enables you to compete against the computer to see if you can outrun him :-) All your races or training runs can be logged onto the Garmin website for viewing. It breaks down your run per km, gives you an aerial view of the streets you ran in, street names, your gradients, speed per km, averages per km and you can play your entire race back and relive the experience on the Internet. Those are just a few examples of what the watch does...it does LOADS more.

The Garmin 310XT can be used for cycling, swimming, road running, triathlons etc

I have nothing but praise for this piece of exercise equipment and if you are reading this and wanting to start serious running, then Garmin is the way forward.

TRX Suspension Trainer

TRX or Total Resistance Exercise is probably the best investment I made as far as exercise is concerned. You can do a complete body workout on the TRX.

How it works!

It's very similar to body weight exercises where you would use your body weight as "weights". The slight difference is that there are straps involved & most of the time you work at various angles to the ground. So the stronger you become, the more you can adjust the angles to make it harder or easier. It's great for your everyday person, as well as Elite athletes.

Check out my clip for doing should exercise.