Preparation Tips for Runners Competing Abroad

Are you dreaming of traveling to places and run your dream marathon races? If yes, you must understand that this will require much time and effort on your part.

To begin with, you have to get trained. Perhaps, you are new to running. To build up your skills for marathon, minimum of six months training is needed. On the other hand, three months of training would suffice for those who have been running distances regularly.

Here’s a helpful video which I found online. It can give you more ideas on preparing yourself physically for a race. (I don’t own this videos. All credit to the owner.)

Next, you need to choose a marathon that fits your capabilities and interests. Depending on your preference, you can run your marathon debut in another country at a big city marathon or low-key races done in quiet streets.

When it comes to running races in another country, your preparation does not stop at picking the country of your choice. There are other things that have to do. Now that you have the exact race in mind, research about its location. It is best that you have a map of the entire race and basic information like the weather and time differences in that part of the globe. Research and chew on the rules too. Some don’t get to run the race even after intensive training for marathon because of disqualifications. The Boston Marathon, for one, has disqualified many runners with its strict guidelines.

More often than not, registrations to running competitions start months or even a year before the actual race. In fact, famed ones get fully-booked quickly like days after the registration started. So you better be keen to register early. After which, probe about any visa requirements. Start with the application process early to ensure that you get it on time.

Decide to arrive at the country of the race one to two weeks earlier. This will allow your body and biological clock to adapt to climate and time differences. In relation to this, professional runners who are driven to win arrive at least three months ahead of the scheduled race and train there. As you prepare you for your departure, pack all your things days ahead your flight. Ensure you have all your running gears ready.

Four Top Ways to Be Happy Today

Loneliness is the top emotion that derives most of us the opportunity to enjoy life. We tend to be lonely because of the personal failures, frustrations, memories that burn and sorrowful situations that we encounter from time to time. The world can be filled with misfortunes if viewed in the lens of gloom. Finding ways to be happy then can save us from falling into the deep pits of depression.

Do some goal-setting – When a person sees that there are a lot of things to be done and nothing gets accomplished, he feels miserable. This can be easily dealt with by setting specific goals that match with his skills and time. What is good about this is that you are able to do more with less effort. We are born to be creators. With that, we experience self-fulfillment when we produce something. Isn’t this the most worthwhile of the various ways to be happy?

Act on your goals – Once your goals are set, scheme a set of actions that will help you bring them to realization. Besides these, consider some tools that will make your tasks easy and people whom you think could motivate you to do the best.

Enjoy the company of your family and friends – The routines of everyday life can get even the most cheerful people bored at times. It is ideal to learn how to break away from dragging stuff because this will keep you from feeling burned out quickly. You can start by spending time with your family and friends. There is no special formula on how to find happiness with them. Watch a movie or eat out with them. If your budget is tight, simply invite them for a chat over a cup of coffee.

Think and act positively – Negative things exist inevitably every hour every day. Most of the time, we cannot do anything to change them. We must shield our minds with positive thoughts so that we won’t get robbed of our happiness. One positive thought to hold near your heart is ‘believe that everything is achievable’. This will help you succeed over all circumstances or tasks which you may even find impossible to overcome or achieve.

All You Need to Know About Anti-Oxidants

Antioxidants can be found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. They are compounds that prevent disease-causing oxidative damage. Such damaged is acquired from chemical exposure and from natural body processes. Antioxidants are also available as dietary supplements especially now that more and more people are aware of their health benefits.

Cells in the body naturally produce free radicals when they use oxygen. Cigarette smoking, alcohol, metabolism, pollution, direct sunlight, unhealthy foods, exercise and stress can contribute to increased free radical formation. Free radicals cause oxidative stress which results to a lot of health problems.

Antioxidants are known far and wide for their ability to boost the immune system, enhance the body’s natural response to infection, increase antimicrobial and killer cell activities, improve lymphocyte proliferation and prevent the common cold. Antioxidants commonly come in the form of vitamins A, C and E, selenium, zinc, carotenoids, flavonoids, phenols, isothiocyanates and sulfides, and the antioxidant-like compounds in coenzyme Q10 and glutathione.

Medical surveys show that there is no recommended daily amount for antioxidants unlike most nutrients. Also, there is no established tolerable upper limit for the safety of antioxidant supplements. However, most medical experts agree that it is best to obtain antioxidants from eating foods rather than from taking supplements. They recommend at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day and 6 to 11 portions of grains per day to ensure good health and disease prevention.

How to Protect Your Memory

Do you fear suffering from Alzheimer’s and other cognitive problems once you hit your mid-life years? Fear not because there a lot things that you can do today to protect your brain – your memory for that matter – as you age. Below are top three of the best practices you have to note.

Have faith. Believe that you have the capacity to control your physical and cognitive health. Certain studies show that those who that they have total control over their health tend to have better memory and intellectual functions as they age. Lack of belief results to anxiety and distress which affect a person’s health and performance. It also keeps a person from being motivated to improve his health condition.

Exercise your brain regularly. Advanced education promotes good or improved cognitive functioning. Advanced education pushes a person to find ways of working around cognitive problems. Needless to say, this point is not all about academic stuff. You can also exercise your brain by reading constantly, taking vocational classes and playing musical instruments.

Exercise your body regularly. Exercising doesn’t only relieve your mind and body of stress. It also prompts new neural connections. According to medical experts, higher levels of new neural connections slow down the aging process in the brain. Hence, memory and other cognitive abilities don’t decline easily.

Pay attention to what you eat. Your present diet can be a gauge of your brain’s future condition. Eat fruits that are rich in flavanoids. Flavonoids are phytonutrients in plant-based food products that is responsible for the food’s color. They can free your brain of the free radicals that can soon destroy it. Berries, beans, nuts, apples, pears and plums are rich in flavonoids.