SparkPeople Member and Certified Running Coach
Nancy Howard has a degree in nursing. Her mission is to help others learn the process of living a healthy lifestyle and to let them know it is never too late to start. An avid runner, Nancy has competed in more than 100 road races since 2006, including 12 half marathons and Hood to Coast Relay--the largest in North America. She has lost 80 pounds--and kept it off--since joining SparkPeople in 2005. In 2009, she achieved two amazing goals: She became a Runners Club of America Certified Running Coach and ran the Chicago Marathon. She wants to inspire the world and let everyone know you don’t have to be an Olympian to run.
Read More of 's Blogs:
Getting Kids Active: Is Your Community Kid Friendly?
When I was a kid many years ago, my friends and I spent most of our summer vacation practically living outdoors, even in the Texas heat. My childhood predated video games, 100 channel cable stations, and even the VCR; however in retrospect we weren’t missing out on much. Our main form of entertainment was going outside and playing. We would ride our bikes everywhere. We spent time playing baseball in the vacant fields and jumping on trampolines, we even had the old roller skates that you attached to your shoes with a key. See I told you I was old. LOL! We didn’t perceive playing as exercise; it was having fun with our friends. It was just what kids did back in the olden days.
We would get up, get dressed, eat our breakfast, then jump on our bikes and be gone for the better part of the day. Most of my friends had season passes to the local swimming pool down the street which became the hang out place Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. until it was time to head home for dinner. My parents and my friends’ parents didn’t worry too much about us being gone all day, but we always made sure we had a dime for the pay phone. Looking back it was truly idyllic.
Posted 6/10/2009 6:00:00 PM By: : 73 comments 13,169 views
Do You Keep a Fitness Journal?
Many of us have come to appreciate one of the most valuable tools in our arsenal to lose weight and reclaim our health and that is by keeping a food journal. Tracking calories and nutrients allows us to become more aware of our food intake, portions, and most importantly to ensure we are getting the proper nutrients our body requires.
However, according to The American Academy of Family Physicians, keeping an exercise journal is a huge motivator for many when it comes to physical activity.
Posted 6/6/2009 8:05:56 AM By: : 231 comments 28,317 views
Run/Walk Method Works for Me: Will it Work for You?
As many of you may know I am a runner. I started running as a way to lose weight, get fit and most of all to prove to my 6th grade P.E. teacher that I could run. Once I ran my first race I was hooked. I love the challenge of running, and though not every run is filled with joy, I do have to say it is my passion.
When I laced up my first pair of running shoes well over three years ago, I started like many new runners do, and that is with a walk/run program. Most people do not have the endurance or stamina to run a long distance right off the bat, but with time and patience one can eventually go from a walk/run to running a good three miles in a matter of weeks. However, many experts are now advocating adding walk breaks into your runs to help not only with your endurance, but to help with your recovery.
Four months ago I registered to run the Chicago Marathon. While having run well over 60 races ranging in distances from a 5K to a half-marathon, I have never taken on the challenge of running, much less training for a run of this distance--26.2 miles. As I was reviewing my training schedule with my running coach, we formulated a plan. We decided to return to what many believe to be a backwards approach to training and that is a run/walk method.
Posted 6/3/2009 5:18:36 PM By: : 210 comments 61,877 views
Will You Take a ‘Staycation’ this Year?
With our economy in a quandary, many of us are choosing to stay at home during our vacation time in order save a little money. This is what has been popularly referred to for the past several years by many as a ‘staycation’.
So what is exactly is a staycation? It is staying at home or close to home during your vacation time. However, this doesn’t mean you have to sit at home all day watching talk shows or re-runs of your favorite television dramas. In fact this situation allows many of us the opportunity to explore our own community just like a tourist would.
Posted 5/30/2009 9:30:01 AM By: : 164 comments 14,124 views
Gym Pet Peeves: Do You Have Any?
Last week while I was at the gym, a gentleman in his 60’s got on the treadmill next to mine reeking of Aramis cologne. The only reason I knew the scent was because it is the only cologne my father-in-law has worn for the past 25 years. Let me tell you the scent was so strong that I literally had to get off my treadmill and move to one several rows away. I could hardly breathe it was that strong. This got me to thinking that this subject just might make for a great blog.
Posted 5/27/2009 6:38:55 PM By: : 424 comments 20,299 views
Your Actions Create Your Life!
When I started on this journey over 4 years ago, my main motivator was to reclaim my health and get back into so-called ‘normal’ sized clothing. But there was something about this time that was so different from all my other past attempts—I am too not sure if it was my internal clock to get healthy ticking ever so loudly OR if I had reached my breaking point where I just needed to finally gain control over my life.
So many times in the past, I allowed myself to become a bystander in this journey we call life. I would lackadaisically go through the motions, but never felt the need to permanently change. I often wondered why this time was so different. There is one little word that seemed to make sense and that word is ACTION!
Posted 5/23/2009 9:31:29 AM By: : 143 comments 18,734 views
May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month
With summer only a few short weeks away, many of us are beginning to make plans for summer trips to the lake or beach, while others head outdoors to work in the yard and garden. But before you make your way to the great outdoors, it is crucial to do all that you can to protect you and your family from the harmful effects of the sun.
According to the American Cancer Society, skin cancer is by far the most commonly diagnosed cancer here in the States, surpassing prostate, breast, lung, colon, pancreatic, uterine, and ovarian cancers combined. Each year more than 1 million people are diagnosed with skin cancer and this trend appears to be increasing with each passing decade.
Posted 5/16/2009 5:40:23 AM By: : 86 comments 12,255 views
Confession of a Flip-Flop Addict: Are You One, Too?
The minute the temps rise above 60 degrees Fahrenheit, it is time for this ol’ Texas girl to pull out one of her many pairs of cute flip-flops. I am a flip-flop addict in every true meaning of the word. I own a pair in almost every color imaginable and one to match almost every outfit in my closet. They range in style from really dressy to ultra athletic. However, as research reveals the dangers of my shoe choice, I may have to bid adieu to my beloved summer shoe preference or at least modify the amount of time I walk in them.
Posted 5/13/2009 4:32:13 PM By: : 371 comments 29,681 views
Safety Tips for Runners and Walkers
Two weeks ago while I was out for a 5 mile run on a busy street in my neighborhood, I saw another runner coming at me approximately 75 feet ahead. While I was running facing the traffic, she was running with the flow of traffic. In my 3 years of running I have always run against the flow of traffic--the reason, I want to see the driver, just in case the driver does not see me; at least this gives me the opportunity to jump out of the way.
As fate would have it, a car coming at a fairly high rate of speed for a residential street, was making a bee-line right for the other runner. I was screaming at her to jump the curb. Thankfully she did and avoided getting hit, but the driver had no clue what could have happened, she was too busy on her cell phone and was not paying attention. Let me tell you, there were two runners quite shaken up. She picked herself up and I picked up my heart.
Posted 5/9/2009 5:30:39 AM By: : 179 comments 27,579 views
A Day that Changed my Life: Reflection on the First SparkPeople Convention
I once read that it is through our life experiences that we define who we are. By far one of the most touching and heart-felt experiences in my life happened on May 2nd at the first SparkPeople Convention in San Diego. This great event truly taught me we are never alone in this journey we call life. And while the journey to reclaim our lives may seem daunting, know that you will always have a friend somewhere on SparkPeople to walk it with you.
Photo compliments of Mary aka LILHLFPINT
I was so excited traveling from Texas to San Diego; not only would I get to meet our great members, but being so far removed from the Cincinnati home base, I have only corresponded with my fellow Spark co-workers via email and a few phone calls. This was my first time to meet them in person. The minute I saw Coach Nicole, Dietitian Becky, Dave and his wife Angie at the airport, I knew I was in for the time of my life. What a pleasure and treat to meet others who share the passion of helping others.
Posted 5/6/2009 4:52:33 PM By: : 101 comments 10,320 views
Friends Do Our Bodies Good: Do You Agree?
Last week I wrote a blog on the important role our pets play in our lives and how they bring so much joy, love, and happiness into our every day lives. However, we should never underestimate the power of friendships in helping us embrace a healthier way of living.
Last week in an article published in The New York Times by Tara Parker-Pope titled What Are Friends for? A Longer Life the author reveals the strong bond friendships can bring to our health. Not only do friends help those suffering from depression and illness, but they have been shown to “speed recovery, slow aging, and prolong life." They are an invaluable support in times of crisis as well as times of joy.
I know my friends have been an invaluable source for me over the years. And while our friends may come and go, the wonderful thing is there is always opportunity to make new friends along the way. I have made so many new friends at the gym, when I volunteer, and in the three running groups I belong to.
And now with much of the world having access to the internet, websites such as SparkPeople, Facebook, and MySpace are bringing friends back together like never before while allowing new bonds to form. In fact, I have reconnected with quite a number of my high school and college classmates whom I had lost contact many years earlier and WOW, am I having the time of my life.
Posted 5/2/2009 12:00:20 PM By: : 96 comments 9,294 views
Are You Ready to Run? Join the Inaugural National Running Day June 3rd
Many of you are aware that I am a runner. I ran my first 5K only 13 months into my journey to become a healthier me over 3 years ago and I haven’t stopped since. Running is my passion as well as a challenge I take on each and every time I head out the door.
I have been told by countless running coaches in my journey that the running resurgence of today is very similar to the ‘jogging’ era of the 1970’s. As more and more people look for ways of reclaiming their health, as well as lose weight, and beat stress, running has once again become the exercise of choice for many of us.
This year the running industry is sponsoring the Inaugural National Running Day to be held on Wednesday, June 3rd. The only requirement is for you to run on that day. If you have a local running specialty store in your area, you may want to check with them to see if they are sponsoring any events.
Posted 4/29/2009 6:36:16 PM By: : 74 comments 11,677 views
Pets Do Our Bodies Good: Do You Agree?
Nothing makes me happier then to come home after a hectic day only to be met at the door by my beloved Miniature Schnauzer, Brooklyn (see photo left). No matter what is going on in my life she is a constant joy. In the past seven years, there hasn’t been a day where she doesn’t greet me tail wagging and ever so eager to welcome me home. Talk about unconditional love. There is nothing that beats the pure joy she brings to our family—in fact she is a member of our family.
Posted 4/25/2009 5:39:33 AM By: : 713 comments 28,666 views
Dream Your Dream--Susan Boyle Did!
Anyone who knows me will tell you I am a sentimental ol’ fool. I love it when others overcome adversities in their lives— when they rise above all obstacles regardless of how long it takes to reach a dream.
If you haven’t come across such a story, let me share with you one of the most inspiring and uplifting stories I have seen in a very long time. As a contestant on Britain’s Got Talent, Susan Boyle, age 47, took the leap to fulfill a life-long dream to become a professional singer. An average, unassuming woman, who has never been married, never been kissed, made her way on stage in front of a live audience and three celebrity judges, including American Idol’s own Simon Cowell.
Posted 4/18/2009 5:48:34 AM By: : 462 comments 19,790 views
Simple Ingredient Lists: Just Another Marketing Gimmick or a Healthier Food Option?
There seems to be a new trend in town these days that may or may not help the average consumer. But in a world where there are literally hundreds of new products on the shelves to choose from, having a simplified ingredient list may just be the answer. Or is it?
Posted 4/15/2009 4:09:18 PM By: : 188 comments 21,335 views
‹ Back Read More Entries ›
.jpg)
