 A few months back, I have shared my thoughts about the concept of rituals as applied to personal health and fitness. Recently I have refined my thinking and I thought I would share … After a certain time, it’s easy to see your daily workouts as just your routine … don’t! Instead try to view your overall physical (and mental) fitness with more respect: call them your fitness rituals. That subtle word change will make all the difference … see, routines, habits, etc. will tend, over time, to gain a negative connotation because they’ll eventually become a “have to do”. But a ritual will always be something you respect and want to participate to – so whatever your pre-race or pre-workout ritual is, it will be setting the tone for it to be a positive experience and something you truly enjoy. Here are my suggestions that will help you turn your workout “routine” into an awesomebulous ritual. Have a theme song! For me, music plays a big role in any activity. Not only does it focus your mind but when I listen to something I really like (for me It’s uplifting EDM) that’s super upbeat, it can se the done for how your experience things. So I suggest you get a rotation of songs, a playlist, an app that gets you in the mood for exercise. For me, I use an app called di.fm radio and I listen to their uplifting, epic and vocal trance channels and shows (from Armin van Buuren to Jena Garniychuk and Ori Uplift). When I really love a song, I add it to my running playlist on Apple Music (you can follow me there). That’s the soundtrack of my workouts and runs. Dedicate your workout to someone I think there is power in reminder myself as to why I am committing to my workouts, because it’s helping me why this matters to me and to remember the bigger picture: more and more (and more) maintenance as you get older! I’ve learned that great idea while practicing mindfulness using the Headspace app: take 3 deep breaths, shift your attention to your senses and be in the Now. Then think about why the workout you’re about to do matters to you. And then finally connect all of this with your own bigger picture, whether it’s preserving your health to be strong for your loved ones, or to remember how lucky you are to be healthy or to remind yourself how you feel so much better after your workout ….. Always do something you actually enjoy A part of your ritual is your workout itself. Soooo … if you hate to run, don’t run. There are a lot of activities that will get you to break a really good sweat. Just thrive to get started, even when you don’t feel like it. The fun will come real fast. So find those workouts that will make sure that you’ll be always be coming back to them. For me I love running and I love lifting. But I don’t want to do this every day because I don’t want to get bored of it. So during my work week, I actually do my cardio on ellipticals, stairmasters (those are excellent cardio workouts!) and stationary bike. And every other day, I lift and work on my strength training. Have a post-game Once you’re done, I suggest you make a point in recognizing yourself for showing up today and do the work. Take your time during your cool down to reflect on how you feel and notice the positive changes you feel after a good workout session – for me I do a good stretching session and then hot tub and shower – so that you keep on doing it every day again and again and again. The concept of macro rituals In addition to your daily training and fitness rituals, I suggest you have a ritual to kick off each week. For example, I have a weekly macro ritual on Sundays when I prepare my meals for the week – make my food list, go to the store, take my time to pick up the best produce and then come home and prepare and cook. I usually do that after my weekend 10K runs. @philippemora > I come from the future. I work and I workout. Always be kind and passionate.
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 “Great abs are made in the kitchen” and the worst kept secret of the fitness and diet industry is that it’s equally pointless to exercise without proper nutrition as to diet without proper exercise. And if you exercise regularly, a proper nutrition plan is actually very simple: we’re going to call it “drop the crap” (In addition to way smaller portions), as losing fat an older male and fueling hard workouts doesn't have to involve counting calories. Keep it simple and fine-tune as needed. So here it is: the following three stages I am suggesting can be used by anyone who needs to clean-up and refocus their diet. Step One: drop the obvious crap If you’re in your mid-forties, by now you should know that junk food, candy, sodas, cookies, fast food and booze are wrecking your body or at least delaying your progress. The right amount of “in moderation” and “cheat food” is equal to zero: every time an overweight person consumes “the obvious crap” they’re taking a step backward or (at best) temporarily halting their progress. If your goal is to lose fat, keep it off for good. Cut it out and never go back at it ever again. Step Two: cut the less obvious crap Those are the foods that are considered as healthy but in fact aren’t. Those are the pretend health food choices that have more or less the same effect of delaying your progress as the obvious crap foods: low fat, fat free, low carb, gluten free, high fiber, organic, whole grain, etc. But low-carb foods can be calorically dense and filled with the worst type of dietary fats, and fat-free foods are always sugar bombs or full with processed flour. Sugar is gluten-free. Let’s not talk about added corn syrup in every food that comes in a box. And all of them will make you fat. Now the less obvious: drop wheat products. Yup. Bread and Pasta and everything that’s white and processed. Dropping wheat-containing foods may be controversial however you’ll be able to google quite a few studies showing that wheat polypeptides bind to the brain's morphine receptor, the same receptor to which opiate drugs bind, meaning that you get cravings, overeat, and disrupt your natural appetite signaling mechanisms. Further, the health benefits of this particular grain are largely nonexistent, you don't need it, and it's probably doing you more harm than good. And here more bad news: It can take anywhere from 5 to 28 days to drop the "addiction" to these foods. Food scientists and behavioral psychologists refer to this as the "don't be a pussy" stage and suggest three servings of "suck it up, princess" until bad habits wane and unnatural cravings subside. It’s really hard but out here in the real world, it works for 90% of people. Step Three: Replace all the above crap with clean stuff
@philippemora > I come from the future. I work and I workout. Always be kind and passionate.
🙏❤️💪🏋️♀️🔥🚀  An important note here: my colleague Alex featured in the picture above finished top 30 in the 10K race, in his age category. Awesome job Alex! The first trail race of the year for me. Basically getting up the mountain then down. Last year I injured one of my thighs on the way down the 10K and basically this was it for me for the year, so this year I did only the 5K to make sure I don't re-injure myself. Well I am happy to report that this race was so super awesome I think I am doing the 10K again next year! A little slow again though, but let's make sure about no injuries this season!   @philippemora > I come from the future. I work and I workout. Always be kind and passionate.
🙏❤️💪🏋️♀️🔥🚀  It’s a really hard race, goes up the hills of the Santa Cruz mountains in the San Francisco South Bay Area: Sanborn County Park, a beautiful mountain park of redwoods and tan bark oaks. Last year, I did hurt one of my calves on the downhill of the TrailQuake 10K run … that more or less put me off racing for the rest of the year and I really had only myself to blame for the setback (yup, that’s what happens when your brain is still 20yo and your body is actually past 50). So this year, I am just doing the 5K and I am coming more equipped, let’s see if mind will win over body the right way this time!
@philippemora > I come from the future. I work and I workout. Always be kind and passionate.
🙏❤️💪🏋️♀️🔥🚀  In the last decade, trail running events worldwide have become increasingly popular for those looking to step away from the “traditional” road marathons and track events. Basically trail running goes up and down and I have learned that it really levels the playing field between the runners who are really good and fast on flat (not me) and the more technical yet adventurous trail running (that’s more like me!) But running uphill is scary .. First you feel you’re out of air almost immediately and then, after the run, you discover there’s pain in many new muscles you never knew they even existed like the upper quadriceps, your buttocks (yup, your butt) and of course the calves. However with the right techniques, foods, massages and creams, uphill running can be tackled and it’s really good to have this as part of any training plan. The rewards: more efficient breathing, stronger muscles and brain power, and significant general improvements in endurance. Start slow and on the Stairmaster (and alternate with the incline treadmill) Obviously not the same, but the Stairmaster will teach you to run “quick and light” and also force you to maintain a normal breathing rate, while all you want to do is ventilate like there’s no tomorrow (yes Stairmaster is hard at the beginning). Also you’ll start to train the right muscles for natural hill running, hence minimizing the potential post-run pain when you start doing real hill running. The incline treadmill is great too for training, major drawback is that it’s really boring. Usually I do fast interval/hill training with them during regular workouts – really good cardio workout and teaches you the breathing part as well. Get the right shoes You need extra forefoot cushioning for uphill running and your shoes need to stay light – overall weight is really something you want to pay attention to. Also, one thing to consider is that you will go up, then down. Careful with too much cushioning, it may slow you down when you go down-hill. Learn to “run tall” Even with a slope, don’t forget to have a straight body alignment, aka “run tall”: head up, eyes forward, shoulders back, hips and knees aligned. Your elbows should be bent but remember that on an uphill/downhill trail, your biceps and shoulders will work harder than usual. With your body straight, your knees will naturally lift higher to allow for you to climb upwards, and your feet will be doing the angled work that gets you moving in the right direction. Run forefoot It’s a very well known technique for sprinters. Check this video: When it comes to running uphill, the greater the incline, the more use of your forefoot for the climb. One of the greatest benefits of running hills is that this is where speed is built for tackling faster flats. Of course, it’s not just sprinters and track runners who benefit from forced forefoot running. If you use your heels too much as when you’re normally walking, you’re going to cramp real fast. Do the quick and light This basically you run small steps more often. Trust me it works real well. This doesn’t mean that you increase your overall speed, which would totally change your breathing and your overall running momentum which will get you tired real fast, but you just increase your footspeed. Only hit the hill when you’re ready Once small and quick steps are mastered and the right gear is in check, it’s time to move from the stairs to the hills. The best place to practice uphill running are along uneven forest and mountain trails of gradual incline. The terrain naturally promotes twitch-fiber growth in muscles and the landscape always gives you new routes to run and new foot-falls even when on the “same” run uphill. Start easy and small, and find the right incline for your level. Too steep, and you’ll fatigue early, which can be deterring to those starting out. The best way forward is to increase your grade gradually, running the same route until you can claim that climb is conquered and move to a new challenge Rest and recovery Okay the bad news first: hill running does hurt. You’ll need to deal with muscle soreness the day of your race, and probably the day after. Here’s what I’ve learned:
@philippemora > I come from the future. I work and I workout. Always be kind and passionate.
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It's a really fun race that is a little bit more difficult than the 3 others I worked on this year, because the profile is a little bit more challenging (yes it goes up ....) Anyways thanks Brazen Racing for another fun time running in super awesome spots in the bay area - and by the way I love the race tee and the medal, so super cool design this year!. Next race June 2nd, stay tuned!
@philippemora > I come from the future. I work and I workout. Always be kind and passionate.
🙏❤️💪🏋️♀️🔥🚀  This race is awesome! It’s situated at Point Pinole Regional Shoreline Park, located in the city of Richmond, across the boy from San Francisco. Some History! It is on the site of a number of former explosives factories; the largest of these was operated by the Giant Powder Company, which was relocated to this relatively remote spot following accidental explosions at its former sites in San Francisco and at Albany Hill. Giant had built the first dynamite manufacturing plant in the United States at a site known as Glen Canyon Park, which started up on March 19, 1898. On November 26, 1869, there was an explosion that destroyed every building on the site (including the fence around the plant). The plant was forced to move farther away from heavily populated areas. Another explosion occurred at the Albany Hill plant in 1892, before Giant built its last plant in the lightly populated area of Pinole Point. The 10K Race For the entire course you have awesome views of the San Francisco bay all around the entire course, that we’re very close to the sea so it’s not hot! The race elevation is mostly flat, which makes it a really fun race!  @philippemora > I come from the future. I work and I workout. Always be kind and passionate.
🙏❤️💪🏋️♀️🔥🚀  What is progressive overload? We all want to grow in performance and strength and the surest way of getting to the next level is called “progressive overload” — you challenge yourself to always train hardest and push through ever more intense workouts …. Progressive overload trains your body to adapt to the new conditions you’re putting upon it, and “feeling the burn” after a workout is always a great sign that you’ve done a great job! The first key however is to make sure that in conjunction with progressive overload, you give your body a chance and time to recover …. it’s called “stress adaptation” : Build up. Back off a little. Build up. Back off a little. Overloading the body and then giving it a chance to recover, adapt, and heal before placing more stress upon it, is a great way to train. The second key is to cross train: during your training week, alternate your aerobic activity days with strength training days, lifting weights and conditioning all your muscle groups for strength and volume. This will not only bring you much better posture and overall strength (provided you work hard at it and don’t take shortcuts) The third key is to sleep! Yes, sleep! Your body does most of its repair and rebuilding while you sleep. And logically, if you’re not getting the right amount of sleep, you should back off from training until your sleep hours are back to normal. How to avoid overtraining?
Common signs of overtraining: if you experience any of the following, you need to stop training and take a few days rest. And if those signs continue to persist, you need to go see a doctor right away
That’s all, hope this helps! And always please make sure you have lots of fun! @philippemora > I come from the future. I work and I workout. Always be kind and passionate.
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I come from the future. I work and I workout. Always be kind and passionate.
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