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  Podcast, New Business and Breast Cancer Awareness Month Have you been listening to the 40+Fitness Podcast ? I hope you’ve found these podcasts interesting and informative or at least entertaining! They have been fun to record with Allan, though I feel like I’m still getting the hang of it. For being such a talker, I still get nervous speaking into a microphone and being recorded! I’m sure I’ll sound less dorky eventually… After completing the NASM Certified Personal Training course, I started working on establishing an LLC. It took quite a while for the paperwork to be filed, but the LLC now exists and liability insurance is in place. I’m looking for a local lawyer to help with the other paperwork – contracts, waivers and whatnot. When all this is done, the real fun begins! In the meantime, as you know, the month of October is earmarked for Breast Cancer Awareness and I want to honor that by sharing information from the Fxck Cancer website : Breast cancer isn’t biased: Men and w
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There is Something Good in 2020 This has been quite a year, on that we can all agree. It’s hard to turn off the news and social media, yet we really should. Highlights of covid-deaths, racial inequalities, mask-wearing arguments and back-to-school discussions are stressing everyone to the max. At these levels of controversy and stress, it’s no wonder that humanity isn’t exactly showing its best side. Alice Morse Earle is credited with the saying “Every day may not be good, but there’s something good in every day.” When you don’t see the good, then be the good that people need to see. I’ve chosen Fxck Cancer as my charity for 2020 and I still need your help. I’m doing my best to support this organization through one strange, challenging year. Here’s why your support means more now than ever. Cancer screenings and diagnoses were likely delayed during the shelter-in-place orders in most states. Concerned about the covid-crisis, people may not have been paying attention to their o
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I Survived My First 2 Weeks of School I never envisioned being one of the many people switching careers later in life. I didn’t think I’d ever go back to school or need any added education to take on a new job after staying at home for so many years. Yet, here I am. Going back to school is proving to be just the challenge I was looking for this summer, especially with all my key races cancelled or postponed. I enrolled in the NASM Certified Personal Trainer guided study a few weeks ago and was intimidated as soon as I received my new textbook in the mail. Excitement outweighed trepidation and I logged into the online platform to get started. After getting familiar with the online platform, which is a whole new way of learning for me, I launched into the first week materials and began to second-guess my decision. The sheer volume of information in the first week seemed overwhelming. Waves of self-doubt kept washing over me. How can I possibly remember all of this information? When wil
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Celebrate Cancer Survivors Day Today, the first Sunday of June, is Cancer Survivors Day, a day to celebrate the cancer survivors in your life. This is a special day because we are gifted with the opportunity to spend more time with our loved ones who won the cancer war. However, there’s more to surviving cancer than you think. H ere’s what to keep in mind  as you celebrate your friends and family who have fought this epic battle. Early Detection, Innovative Treatment, Improved Outcomes The American Cancer Society (ACS) reports that improved screening and earlier diagnosis, as well as new and innovative treatments, help people live longer after being diagnosed with cancer. It can’t be emphasized enough – early detection is essential for improving outcomes. Healthcare has come so far with improved screening and testing innovations. It’s important that we all know our risk, genetic factors and take advantage of these tests whenever possible. A Blueprint for Survival The ACS also
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Summer Reading, New Goal I just picked up a really big book to read this summer - the NASM Personal Fitness Training program. This hardcover book been on my ‘must-read’ list for some time and I’ve finally found the confidence to enroll in the online certification program. The long and short of it is that I have wanted to learn more about health and fitness for my own personal goals, as well as launch a second career. Since on-the-job-training didn’t pan out at the gym last fall, it seems that all the arrows are pointing me toward the online NASM-CPT program. I’m definitely nervous, but equally excited. My former career was in the environmental field. While in college and upon graduation, I worked as an intern on one of the most contaminated sites in the state of Michigan, then went on to be an environmental consultant for many years. I even spent a short time as a minority shareholder in an environmental consulting company. After starting our family, so many years ago, my
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Be the Light on Giving Tuesday Today is Giving Tuesday, a global movement that inspires community, compassion and helping those in need. Participate in this global generosity movement by donating to one or more of the charities that are important to you. They need your support more than ever! Many of the races that we do as runners, virtual or in person, support a charitable organization. Many charities also put on special events to raise funds, such as golf outings, auctions and elaborate dinners. Obviously, many of our races and special events have been postponed, canceled or transformed into virtual events this year. While we are all hurting in one way or another, during this COVID-19 Crisis, giving helps ease the pain and today is the day to promote giving. I’ve seen the famous quote by Mister Rogers floating around quite a bit during our Shelter in Place orders: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me ‘Look for the helpe
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Use Journaling to Set Goals and More Journaling is a multi-purpose tool that doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. Putting thoughts on paper solidifies memories, brings clarity to feelings and emotions, and is a perfect starting point for developing plans or goals. In this digital age, it may seem odd to revert to a traditional notebook and pen, but it works for this specific purpose. Right now, it may be particularly useful to write a few notes about what you are experiencing during this Coronavirus crisis. We’ve all felt some level of fear, anger, confusion and frustration. Consider journaling what has happened since the Stay-at-Home order went into place. Describe what a current day looks like and what you want to do once the order is lifted. Be sure to write about something you are grateful for or happy memories you’ve made with your loved ones. Writing down your experience during this crisis could be both cathartic and enlightening.     Starting a journal ca