Forrest's Fitness & Adventure

If you've never heard of the Katy Trail ,  you're missing out.  For those of us local to Missouri,  we're fortunate to have the 237 mile long trail that allows us to hike, bike and run to our heart's content.   Rest stops, small towns and cozy places to stay are dotted along the length of this scenic path that was once the M, K & T railway. Taking advantage of a beautiful Saturday morning, my girlfriend and I started in Columbia,  MO from the Grindstone trail head.  Our plan was to be up early and ride to Rocheport for breakfast.   Instead, we got up a little late, and got started even later.  That's what Saturdays are for right? We started from the Grindstone trail head in Columbia. This is also a great place to go for a run or take a walk. There are all sorts of trails to explore away from the main path that are great for trail running or hiking.  For our purposes, we continued on the main path in order to connect to Katy Tra...

  One of the oldest, most basic forms of exercise has somehow become laden with all kinds of accessories designed to make running more enjoyable, more data driven and more fashionable. Of course, running with music, GPS, HR monitoring and logging it all online is great. If for no other reason than to change things up every once in a while, a "naked run" has it's benefits. Maybe, calling it a "naked run" is the wrong name.   A "minimalist run" may be more appropriate.  Imagine going for a run in a pair of shorts,  t-shirt and a good pair of running shoes.  No phone,  no watch,  and no worries.  Just go for a run with the intention of enjoying it and being in the moment.  No need to check your watch,  skip the next song or stop for a selfie for Facebook or Strava. In fact,  "minimalist running" might just the kind of running that we need the most. When else are you going to take quiet time out for yourself to let your mind unwind...

There are a myriad of misconceptions about strength training that I've heard from friends and family. Unfortunately, those misconceptions often prevent people from experiencing the benefits of lifting weights. As a young runner, I even remember telling a friend that I didn't want to do too much strength training because I was afraid my legs would get too big and bulky. HAH! Thinking back on that ill conceived notion, I find it hilarious that I ever thought that I could get "too big and bulky". The training and specific effort it would take to reach that level is like saying "I don't want to run too much because I might accidentally do a marathon." Truthfully, I just didn't know any better. Misconception #1 - My sport doesn't require strength. If your sport is tennis, you probably don't need the same type of strength training you might need for football, or triathlon but rest assured, you can benefit from a strength training routine. E...

KC Triathlon Race Report FORECAST:  Rain.  Buckets of rain. SUMMARY:  Bad conditions make for good memories and stories. Backstory It had been at least 6 years since my last triathlon and at least that many since my good buddy, Matt had done one either.  Back in the day, we trained for an IronMan together.  Since then, father time has been nipping at our heels.  Life has become busier.  We're both in our mid forties.  We've both had injuries.  He's even had surgery on his back (twice) and on his shoulder since IronMan.  I've fought through long recurring achilles issue and had just recently finished physical therapy for a knee problem.  Never the less, we thought meeting in Kansas City for the Kansas City Triathlon would a fun way to get ourselves in shape and meet up for a visit. Training My basic weekly plan was 2 swims, 3 runs, 3 bikes and 3 strength sessions each week.  For a month, I did pretty well with that schedule but...

Q: Why does staying healthy and fit have to be a work? A: Getting healthy takes work, time and dedication.  Staying fit is relatively easy. The good news is that the concepts of good health and fitness are relatively simple.  We just make them more complicated that necessary.  In fact, the overabundance of information that is supposed to be helpful for people wanting to improve their health is exactly what makes it so confusing.  And in the course of training for triathlons, training for marathons, lifting weights, doing yoga and studying a wide variety of "diet" plans,  I've amassed a fair amount of knowledge about the subject how to train and eat.  This does not make me an expert by any stretch.  Sure, all of this knowledge has helped me but you don't need to know what I know or pay exorbitant amounts of money to get fit. The single best resource I've ever read on the subject was a book called "Body For Life" written by Bill Phillips in 2007.  F...