This is fourth in a series of five blogs, courtesy of Alicia Fogarty, a registered dietician at Carolinas Healthcare Systems. Click here to view parts one, two and three. Each week Alicia will discuss one tip that will help you fuel your exercise and improve your fitness routine.

Hydrate! – Especially if it is hot.

We all know that we need to drink fluids, but the question is are you really on top of whether you are hydrated adequately?  Did you know as little as a 2 percent weight loss from exercise can have serious consequences? It can lead to fatigue, decrease performance or possibly lead to heat illness. Follow a fluid replacement plan to help avoid these issues.

Hydrating before, during and after exercise is essential to performance. One way to monitor this is to weigh yourself before and after a workout. Ideally, you won’t lose weight; it should stay about the same. If you do, for each pound that you lose you need to replace with 2 – 3 cups of fluid.

If you are losing weight regularly you should reexamine your hydration plan. Experiment during training sessions to determine the amount of fluid to drink that feels comfortable and allows you to perform at your best level while maintaining a proper hydration level. Also, monitor your urine color; clear to pale yellow colored urine is optimal.  Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink. While exercising, thirst can be one of the last signs of needing fluid and you might already be on your way to dehydration.

When the temperature rises you need to be more aware of your hydration level. You sweat more as well as lose more fluids by other means when it is hot.  Staying ahead of the hydration curve in the summer is very important.

Check out next week’s blog for tips on refueling post-workout.

The relationship between Klipsch and 24 Hours of Booty started a few years ago when Rich Doppelfeld, VP of Global Human Resources, was invited by a friend to participate in the Charlotte event. He was so inspired by the enthusiasm of the riders that when 24 Hours of Booty announced it was expanding to Indianapolis, Rich shared his Charlotte experience with Klipsch President and CEO, Paul Jacobs. After hearing the exciting story and the passion 24 Hours of Booty had to fight cancer, Paul  knew Klipsch had to be involved.

“You get a true understanding of the importance of sponsoring and participating in 24 Hours of Booty at the start of the event,” said Paul. “The race director asks the riders to raise their hands if they or someone in their family has been affected by cancer and almost every hand is raised.”

The 2012 inaugural event in Indianapolis gave Klipsch the opportunity to get involved with 24 Hours of Booty on many levels. They formed a team, sponsored the event, distributed Klipsch in-ear headphones as giveaways, and provided fundraiser contest prizes, including a KMC 3 Wireless Music System.

Klipsch employees are a community of their own and have a deep bond over music, often gathering outside of work to share their musical talents. Not to mention, Klipsch has an awesome research and development department where employees can express their creative side creating cool audio products. They are also deeply committed to supporting charitable causes, including 24 Hours of Booty. This year Team Klipsch is 25-plus members strong.

“24 Hours of Booty has been adopted by the entire Klipsch organization,” Paul said.  “It provides an opportunity to raise money to fight cancer, but also promotes true team building, esprit de corps and healthy living.  This event creates a positive feeling at Klipsch and our employees, families and friends look forward to participating in the annual 24 Hours of Booty ride.”

This is third in a series of five blogs, courtesy of Alicia Fogarty, a registered dietician at Carolinas Healthcare Systems.  Click here to view parts one and two .  Each week Alicia will discuss one tip that will help you fuel your exercise and improve your fitness routine.

Fuel during your exercise, but only if you need to. 

As a general rule of thumb, if you are doing exercise that increases your heart rate for more than 60 – 90 minutes or you are doing high intensity exercise, you will likely need some form of carbohydrate during that exercise session.

For those situations, sports drinks, gels, beans or some form of carbohydrate would work.  However, for those of you who exercise at a less intense pace, less than 60 minutes at a time, water is a sufficient beverage for hydration.  Sometimes people tend to add sports drinks or other forms of supplements to their diets when they start a new regimen not realizing they are adding additional, potentially unnecessary calories to their diet that may make it harder for them to lose weight – if that is their goal.

Check out next week’s blog for tips on the best way to hydrate! 

Anna Pennycuff, a nurse by day and a member of the Naptown Roller Girls by night, was prone to bruises due to minor injuries from participating in the roller derby sport. She never gave much thought to these small contusions until 2009 when her bruises led to an unfortunate breakthrough discovery.

In August 2009, Anna went for a routine blood screening and found that her white blood cells (WBCs) were elevated. Results later discovered that she had Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) — a cancer of the WBCs that is characterized by an unregulated growth of myeloid cells in the bone marrow and blood stream. Immediately, Anna was prescribed a chemotherapy drug called Gleevec, a targeted cell treatment that kills cancer cells at the molecular level.  She must take Gleevec every day for the rest of her life in order to remain in molecular remission as she has since 2010. Although there are minor side effects, such as nausea, Anna is happy that there is a less invasive treatment in pill form with less risk than traditional chemotherapy to keep her alive and healthy.

To show support of Anna’s fight against cancer, her husband Jeff Pennycuff began participating with 24 Hours of Booty last year at the inaugural Indianapolis event after hearing about the organization and event from his local CBS station. In 2012, Jeff proudly rode the event by himself in support of his wife, but this year is happy to have others join him for the 24 hour event. This year, Jeff has formed a team with other family members named Team Naughty after Anna’s former roller derby name, Ivanna B. Naughty.

Initially, Jeff set a fundraising goal of $1,500 for the 2012 ride, but received overwhelming support from family and friends earning him second place for individual fundraising with over $4,000 raised. Through the use of social media, Jeff hopes to raise $4,000 for the 2013 24 Hours of Booty of Indianapolis by receiving donations from family, friends and even strangers.

“The medicine that keeps Anna alive is a direct result of cancer research,” Jeff Pennycuff said. “What better reason for donating is there?”

Jeff had a great first experience participating with 24 Hours of Booty and was very pleased at the amount of awareness and fundraising the inaugural Indianapolis event produced in the community. He is very excited that people are becoming more aware and asking questions about his team and the upcoming event schedule.  At first, Jeff thought  being among so many riders who are riding to fight cancer was his favorite part about the event.

“But as I took my first lap, I have to say that the support for the families in the neighborhood was overwhelming!,” said Jeff  who plans on riding 100 miles this year, as weather permits. “I plan to make 24 Hours of Booty an annual event and continue riding and raising money for as long as I can.”

My name is Michael C. Hernandez – and this is my story – the beginning of my story. 

<<<REWIND

One year, four months ago and some change, I was kicking some old habits and embarking on some new ones. You see, if you had met me before the summer of 2011, you knew me as the Michael who was 27 years into a pack-and-a-half a day of Marlboros and more recently, a 5cans-a-day Coca-Cola addict. A self-professed “couch potato,” I was literally growing sprouts through the cushions. I was a die-hard sideline spectator who watched everyone around me set goals, achieve goals and pain and gain their way to success.

Back in those days, my wife was my alarm clock. A religious 4:30 a.m. “arise to shine” runner. I’d be there to greet her when she got home, coffee waiting…cheerleader chant,  “Great job honey, I’m really proud of you.” Same story with my friends, most of whom I met at church on Sundays in the parking lot before 11 a.m. I had to get in my last cigarette before the hour-long service. That was until I figured out that church lot niceties don’t go real far once people get to know you well. “Hey Smokey Smokerson.  When are you going to trade in those sticks for something worth wasting time on?”

PAUSE ||

I met this guy at church who seemed to have it all figured out. He worked hard, played hard and pedaled all the time. David Faulkner is a cyclist and the captain for Charlotte’s Team Reeb. We became friends. The rest is somewhat history. This was not quite the beginning of my story, but certainly the makings of a good prelude. Thirty pounds too heavy, in April 2011, I starting following the weight loss plan that David had been using and I began to shed some of my own skin. It was more than weight loss though. There was something about the diligence of the plan that transformed me a little. I began thinking more and more about quitting smoking. “Let me prove to myself I can do this. Let me lose 30 lbs. Then I’ll quit smoking.”

The diet plan I was on really wasn’t so bad. Well, except the fact that I had to eat a lot of slow-burn carbs and let me tell you something, if you don’t know what’s on the list of slow carbs, I’ve got one word for you: beans. Black beans, lima beans, pinto beans.  You get the gist. There are only so many ways you can cook beans. I knew that if I was going to turn this slow burn into some quick weight loss I was going to have to get moving.  In May, I bought my first official pair of running shoes from TrySports when I was with my wife who was purchasing probably her 55^th pair of running shoes. Nonetheless, I left TrySports Blakeney with a new pair of Mizunos and a level of confidence I’d not felt in years. “I can do this. Let’s get going.”

On July 31, 2011, at precisely 11:45 p.m., a 30-pounds-lighter-self who had walked probably 100-plus miles on those Mizunos, extinguished my old life with the hard twist of my rubber sole on the last cigarette I ever smoked. Then I cut the rest of a full pack in half and threw them in the trash.  Sixty days later, I bought my first road bike. Sixty-one days later, I rode my bike for the first time. Three-hundred-and-sixty-one days later, I rode in my first bike event.

FAST FORWARD>>>

My name is Michael C. Hernandez and this is my beginning. I used to be an overweight smoker. I chose to make a change. I got by with a little help from my friends. I’ve met a lot of great cheerleaders along my journey.  My son has a new hero. My wife got a new workout partner. My view of life got a whole lot clearer. My faith has grown by leaps and bounds. I’ve sent my baggage on a one-way flight to “That Was Then.”

THIS IS NOW +++

I am a TrySports ambassador. Not because I’m real good. Because I’m really passionate. I’m a work in progress, and that suits me just fine. This is just the beginning. Everything else is the past. I’m creating my own story and have found the power to write my own ending. So keep an eye out for me. You won’t find me in the church parking lot smoking one more cigarette before the 11 a.m. service. These days, I’m more likely to be found pressing up to doors of the church just in time for the service after a Sunday morning group ride with my TrySports friends. Life is all about new beginnings. So…let’s get going.

Allie Sadoff, a 9-year-old cancer survivor and 24 Hours of Booty of Charlotte rider, traded in her Team Allie Gator cycling kit and bike for a night on the runway. She was among nine children affected by cancer who were selected to model at the Martin Truex Jr. (MTJ) Foundation 4^th Annual Catwalk for a Cause fashion show.

This is second in a series of five blogs, courtesy of Alicia Fogarty, a registered dietician at Carolinas Healthcare Systems.  Click here to view part one .  Each week Alicia will discuss one tip that will help you fuel your exercise and improve your fitness routine.

Eat regularly and don’t forget to fuel up in morning.

One thing I see so often are busy people forgetting to (or choosing not to) eat regular meals.  That’s like forgetting to put gas in your car.  There are many excuses that I hear, such as “I don’t have time” or “if I don’t eat I will lose weight faster,”  but the reality of the matter is if you are under fueled you won’t exercise to your best potential.

You should eat soon after getting up and at the most every five hours or so.  Try not to exercise without having eaten within the previous three hours.  At about 3-4 hours before exercise it is suggested to have a meal or snack with higher carbohydrates, moderate protein, and low to moderate fat.  If it is about one hour before exercise, consume a snack with lower protein, fat and fiber to help limit any stomach distress while still providing carbohydrates. If you are an early riser and exercise right away, try to have something that contains some carbohydrates but is easy to digest, such as sports drink, coconut water, easy to digest fruit, etc.  Exercising without fuel is like trying to make a race car go without gas.

Check out next week’s blog to see how you should fuel as you work out!

Cancer

I don’t remember much of the day before Thanksgiving in 1988, but it changed my life.
Cancer changed my life with a year of Chemotherapy and radiation, nausea, baldness, weakness and depression.
Cancer told me who my friends were, and who they were not.
Cancer taught me that I really wanted to live and taught me that I wanted to make something of my life.
Cancer taught me to fight, and to care.
Cancer taught me to cry when I needed and scream when it helped.
Cancer taught me that it isn’t a death sentence.
Cancer has helped me make new friends and find new heroes.
Cancer has given me a passion like I’ve never known.
Cancer has given me a cause.
Cancer has made me feel good for caring.
Cancer has made me feel bad for fearing it.
Cancer showed me how much my mother would help me fight for my survival.
Cancer took my mother away. I still miss her each and every day.
Cancer takes something from so many of us. Those of us who survive hope to give some of it back, I’m doing my best.

With 24 Hours of Booty around the corner, training properly to help you meet your performance goals are probably in the forefront of your mind. Developing a training regimen to get you in shape – check!, having the right bike and equipment to ride your best – check!, having a food plan to help you perform you best…umm, maybe check?

A lot of recreational exercisers (and even some competitive ones) focus their efforts on the exercise itself with sometimes little time investment of thought into their eating habits. In doing this you are missing out on a valuable opportunity to meet your body’s nutritional needs for health and wellness, but also missing out on fueling yourself properly to perform your best.

In my practice I regularly have clients come to me with their exercise regimen in place and they are doing well with it, but they can’t quite figure out the food part. Some are having a hard time losing weight despite all of the exercise they are doing. Some complain of having a hard time with having energy during their exercise session or at certain times during the day. Keep in mind that each person is an individual and each person’s goals and needs are different. Over the next few weeks, we will take a look at some of these issues together.

Follows these steps to protect yourself from overexposure to UV radiation*:

• Do Not Burn or Tan – a person’s risk for melanoma doubles if he or she has had five or more sunburns at any point in life.
• Seek Shade – especially between 10 AM and 4 PM when the sun is strongest. An extra rule of thumb is the “shadow rule.” If your shadow is shorter than you are, the sun’s harmful UV radiation is stronger; if your shadow is longer, UV radiation is less intense.
• Wear Sun-Protective Clothing – clothing can be your most effective form of sun protection, so make the most of it with densely woven and bright-or dark-colored fabrics, which offer the best defense.
• Generously Apply Sunscreen – apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to your entire body 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours or immediately after swimming or excessive sweating.
• Use Extra Caution Near Water, Snow, and Sand – Water, snow and sand reflect the damaging rays of the sun, which can increase your chance of sunburn.
• Get Vitamin D Safely – Get vitamin D safely through a diet that includes vitamin supplements and foods fortified with vitamin D. Don’t seek the sun or indoor tanning.

Remember, prevention is the best way to treat skin cancer!  When in doubt, sunscreen or shade are both great options.  In the meantime enjoy a burn-free Memorial Day weekend.

*Information courteous of the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention