Tour de Lis is a run, ride and walk that benefits the Cancer Association of Greater New Orleans, and the Lance Armstrong Foundation.  It’s not a race – it’s a run/ride/walk with a purpose – to raise funds for and awareness about cancer survival, support, and research-to celebrate survivors and support those still in battle.

When: Saturday, May 08, 2010 @ 8:00 a.m.
Where: City Park, Behind Tad Gormley Stadium

The inaugural Tour de Lis in April 2007 raised $40,000 and featured five riders who cycled 150 miles around Lake Pontchartrain. In 2008, they created a community-wide event and in 2009, Tour de Lis raised over $198,000 for the beneficiary organizations:

The Cancer Association of Greater New Orleans (CAGNO), prides itself in protecting and defending the community against cancer through education, outreach, and research. CAGNO’s patient services program provides vital prescription medications, transportation and other necessities to cancer patients who otherwise would have to do without.

The Lance Armstrong Foundation programs provide financial support and capacity-building to community-centered initiatives that address the physical, emotional and practical challenges of cancer survivorship.

(Click on Image to make a Donation and help Tour de Lis meet their goal)

The goal of the Tour de Lis is to provide a ride, walk or run that is safe, fun, non-competitive and open to all levels of athletic ability, while bringing cancer awareness to the community and raising funds for organizations that are in the forefront of Cancer Survivor Support.

Participants include cancer survivors celebrating life, family and friends who want to honor a loved one affected by cancer, or in memory of a loved one who lost the battle. Tour de Lis unites people who are passionate about cancer survival, knowledge and support. Join us for Tour de Lis to celebrate hope, strength, love and remembrance.

Registration Fees:

Bike Registration: $35
5K Run/Walk Registration: $25
Combo Bike and 5K Run/Walk Registration: $40

Final Date to Register: Thursday, May 06, 2010 @ 11:59 PM

Click here to Register

It almost feels like we are rotating between world class races and music festivals from one weekend to the next.  With French Quarter Fest coming to an end today – it’s time for a race…so next Sunday, New Orleans will host the Ochsner 70.3 Ironman.  Last year, the race broke a world record for being the largest 70.3 in the world. What do we mean by 70.3?!?  Well, this race is definitely not a walk in the park; it’s a grueling combination of a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike and a 13.1 mile run = 70.3 miles.  The race will start at the UNO Research and Technology Park and end in Jackson Square. The award ceremony will be held at Woldenberg Park.

(Click on images for larger image)

Swim 1.2 Miles

Bike 56 Miles

Run 13.1 Miles

I couldn’t confirm the race was sold out, only 3,000 participants are allowed, but registration for the race is closed. This is the kind of race that requires a lot of preparation.  You don’t wake-up in the morning and decide to run an Ironman.  You need to train properly and invest the money in the right equipment…normally getting a racing bike is the biggest expense.

New Orleans will once again host a list of world class athletes for this event: Last year’s champions, Brent McMahon (a former Canadian Olympian) and Natscha Badmann of Switzerland are returning. Also, Australian Chris McCormack (who has won 11 Ironman titles and been named Triathlete of the Year four times) will make a repeat visit. Other seasoned pros signed on include Rasmus Henning from Denmark and U.S. racers Andy Potts and Joanna Zeiger.

Also, just like the other race events – there is going to be an Expo two days prior to the race.  The Health and Fitness Expo will feature a wide variety of multi-sport products, apparel, as well as healthy lifestyle goods and services. The expo is being held at the Hilton New Orleans on Friday April 16th, 10am-6:30pm and Saturday April 17th, 9am-7pm.

Time to wrap things up on the home workout portion of the affordable workouts in New Orleans blog series.  Saving money is almost synonymous with proper prior preparation. Just like you’ll save money by cooking your own meals and taking your lunch in from home to work – in order to get an adequate workout at home, it will require solid proper prior preparation.

For a quick review…in the last post on this topic, we discussed establishing structure by: setting a workout schedule, establishing your home gym, ensuring your write out your weekly workout plan, investing in the proper equipment you will need, setting realistic goals and including activities like walking, running and biking into your routine.

Do It Yourself (DIY) Routines

If you aren’t ready to invest the time in creating your own routines – the best thing to do is to get the right home workout video series.  An example of a great workout series we discussed in the past is P90X. Between paying for the DVDs and the equipment you’ll need – the cost will be approximately $300.

If you want to truly create your own routine…than you can do so for free or very little money with websites like:

Exercise TV: What I like about Exercise TV is that they will put a workout routine together for you and break it down from day to day. I’m a little hesitant to say that following their guidelines is enough…but it’s certainly a good start.

yogadownload.com: Yogadownload.com is a great way for you to include yoga to your DIY routines. Many of the 20 minute workouts are free to download and the cost to download longer videos is very inexpensive.

Don’t Weight To Lose YouTube Channel: Our own local motivator Jacques Courseault created a series of workout videos that you can do with just using a resistance band – which counts as resistance training.

SparksPeople YouTube Channel: To be honest, there are a lot of various workout channels on YouTube – so if you take the time to check them out; you’ll be able to line up the workouts you need to put a good routine together for FREE.

Creating your DIY Routines

1. Watch and Tag Videos – watch a lot of videos of various lengths to know exactly what the video will require of you, the intensity of the workouts and whether or not you would enjoy doing the workout(s). Tag all the videos accordingly, i.e. high intensity cardio, yoga routine, low intensity cardio, bicep, shoulder and back workout…etc.  You might actually want to use a bookmarking site to do this.

2. Mix and Match – Start planning your routines by mix and matching your videos.  If you are trying to lose weight, than you need to be doing 40-60 minutes of cardio…preferably 5 times a week and resistance training 3 times a week. Remember…add going for a walk, run or long bike ride in your routines.

Example One Week DIY Routine:

Monday – 3 miles run/walk (depending on your level of fitness), abs workout video

Tuesday – (2) 20 minutes workout videos medium intensity and arms and back resistance workout

Wednesday – Rest Day

Thursday – 1 hour of yoga video and abs workout video

Friday – Bike ride and shoulders resistance workout

Saturday – Rest Day

Sunday – (2) 25 minutes workout videos ((1) high intensity (1) low intensity) and calves, legs resistance workout, abs workout

Yes…I know – that is a lot of planning!! But that’s what it takes to save money by working out at home.

What a day!! What a race!! Today was the 32^nd Crescent City Classic – over 20,000 runners and walkers lined up on Decatur to participate in this world class 10K race.  The gun and canon – yes, canon, promptly went off at 8:30 am after the Marine Corps Color Guards and Marine Corps Band finished the National Anthem.

Although at first rain threaten to make an appearance, not a drop came down before, during or after the race…which is good because everyone was enjoying the after the race festivities at City Park. The cloud coverage was welcomed, since you can work up quite a sweat running 6.2 miles.  The mixture of cloud, sun and the low 70s made for a gorgeous day for the race.

The Crescent City Classic attracts world class athletes who come to New Orleans to set world records but to me, the real heroes of the race are the people of all ages, sexes, shapes and sizes that come out to run and walk.  People really do come out in troves to participate…some dressed up, some pushing baby strollers and some pulling coolers filled with beer and jelly shots.

It really is one of the best races in New Orleans.  The course starts off in the Quarter, down to Poydras…around to Rampart and on Esplanade all the way to City Park.  It’s a very scenic route.

At the end of the race many people enjoyed some delicious jambalaya and a ‘few’ folks enjoyed some Abita beer.  Okay…most folks also enjoyed some Abita beer.  I guess they earned it after running 6.2 miles!

Congratulations to everyone who ran and thank you to the Crescent City Fitness Foundation and Times Picayune for putting this event together for the city each year.  You can get your race results here.

Below are the pictures I took. Also, check-out the Times Picayune Slide Shows.

The Home Workout and Do-It- Yourself (DIY) Routines

I eluded in my first post about Affordable Workouts in New Orleans that working out from home will be affected by your level of experience and motivation.  In regards to your level of experience, for example, for me to workout at home and create my own routines is pretty simple – I have enough knowledge and experience to put together DIY routines that will either provide me with full body workouts or target body parts.  I can also ensure I have plenty of interval training by mixing things up to get maximum results.  However, if you don’t have a full repertoire to rely on; you will need to do more homework, research and experimenting to find out exactly what will work for you.  We’ll gladly help with that!

Second – lets address MOTIVATION. Here are my recommendations to ensure you have and maintain your motivation to workout from home.

Establish Structure

Set your schedule.  Carve out the exact time you plan to workout.  Preferably it’s the same every day.  Let everyone in your life, your family, friends, co-workers…whoever has an impact on your time that from this time to whatever time on these days – that is your workout time. Yes, you should write this in stone.

Create Your Home Gym. Figure out where you are going to workout and buy the equipment you will need (more to come about equipment). Things to consider when selecting a space…if you plan on jumping up and down – you must make sure that you’re on a floor (preferably basement) that can accommodate that without destroying your house. You will likely need a TV or computer in the room.  You will need to de-conflict the use of the room with other members of the household based on yours and their schedules.

Say you plan to use the garage…how will you hold up in the New Orleans summer heat and humidity?!? Is there proper ventilation and cooling?

Write Out Your Weekly Workout Plan. The clearer you are on what you are doing on which day – the more likely you are to stick with it.  If you need to figure out what you’re doing last minute; it won’t take long before you find a reason to do something else.  This is why workout videos come with planners and specific instructions – it’s what helps people stick with the program.  You’re welcome to send me your plan each week!

Have the Proper Equipment: You definitely don’t need to go spend an arm and a leg on home gym equipment.  I recommend you start out with some dumbbells (3 pairs of 3 different weights), a mat, and an resistance band…may be a jump rope, medicine ball and exercise ball.  Eventually you can look into also getting a home pull-up bar and some other things you will come to realize you want. You can find all that you need at either Walmart or Sports Authority. My other recommendation is that you go to the store instead of ordering online…first because shipping for 3 sets of dumbbells is likely to run you an arm and a leg. But also because it will be good for you to see what other equipment is out there.  DO NOT get wrapped up into gimmicks – stick with the basics.

Walking, Running, Biking. Any one of those three or all three are also part of your home workout so don’t forget about them.  Figure out routes and distances that you want to either walk, run or bike.  Plan accordingly if you need to drive to a park to do it.

Set Realistic Goals. Don’t get into a home workout routine expecting crazy results after a week or two.  Look at this as a learning experience and adventure. Set your goals to sticking to your new establish routine.  Take it one day at a time and enjoy it.

This post is getting a little long – in the next post we’ll get into some recommended routines, videos to check-out and basic things to workout by!

We are less than two weeks away from the Crescent City Classic which will be taking place on Saturday, April 3^rd at 8:30am. I ran the Crescent City Classic last year – it was without a doubt the biggest race I had ever participated in.  Just like the Rock N’ Roll Mardi Gras ½ & Marathon attracted large crowds and top class athletes…so does the Crescent City Classic.

The CCC 10K is known as one of the world’s greatest 10K races.  It runs on a flat, fast, 6.2 mile course that lends itself to world records, as well as to those who just want to get some exercise.  The run starts at Jackson Square where the Marine Corps Band provides the runners some entertainment (it personally helped settle my stomach, last year). Runners than run to Poydras, up to S.Rampart/N.Rampart to Esplanade and than on to City Park.  In City Park, the runners are welcomed by cheering fans, food and festivities. The weather last year was absolutely perfect.

This is a race for everyone.  I ran it a little under an hour last year and saw people walking, saw military formations, and people in costumes etc.  People were having fun, enjoying the fresh air, and getting some exercise!!

If I didn’t have plantar fasciitis I would be running it again this year. If you are planning to run and have not registered, I HIGHLY recommend you register online. It’s a bit of a mad house the days before the race so it’s best to register ahead of time.  Online registration will close at midnight, Sunday, March 28^th.

Concurrent with the CCC, will be the Crescent City Classic Expo at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, 500 Canal Street in downtown New Orleans. Held on Thursday, April 1 and Friday, April 2, the free expo will feature exhibitors showcasing the latest in running apparel, shoes, exercise equipment, nutritional and wellness products, fitness services, and much more.

Race Day Schedule

6:30 a.m. Buses begin running from City Park to start area near Jackson Square
8:15 a.m. Final Announcements, Dignitary Welcome and the National Anthem
8:30 a.m. The Times-Picayune Crescent City Classic Begins!
9:00 a.m. Post-Race Party and Festival begins near finish in Tad Gormley Stadium
10:00 a.m. Complimentary Bus takes participants back to Canal St.
10:30 a.m. Awards Ceremony and Giveaways from stage in Tad Gormley Stadium
11:00 a.m. Festival Bands resume playing
1:00 p.m. Festival officially ends, Complimentary bus transport to Canal St ends

For more information – visit the Crescent City Classic Website. Let us know if you are running by leaving a comment!!

New Orleans is showing her prowess and ability to compete amongst any city in the world on all levels (yet, again) with tomorrow’s Rock N’ Roll Mardi Gras Marathon.

As the Times-Picayune reported:

On Sunday morning, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Mardi Gras Marathon & Half-Marathon will draw more than 15,000 entrants from all 50 states and 18 countries…New Orleans-area athletes comprised about 16 percent of the field. Seventy-two percent, officials said, will arrive from outside Louisiana.

Live music will accompany the field. Twenty-four stages will be constructed that will host 35 bands playing throughout the event’s duration. A festival starting at 6 p.m. at City Park will mark the day’s close.

And here is something that no other ½ Marathons have been honored with from Running-Advice.com

New Orleans, LA -– This Sunday’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Mardi Gras Marathon & 1/2 Marathon will showcase perhaps the most dynamic half-marathon duel ever staged on American soil. 2008 Olympic Marathon gold medalist and half marathon world record holder Sammy Wanjiru will battle head-to-head against fellow Kenyan and three-time London Marathon champion Martin Lel.

New Orleans attracts world class athletes to compete in her streets and battle it out.   This is the kind of news and information to talk about when you talk about New Orleans to other people.  This is very positive PR for our city.

Mardi Gras 1/2 Marathon 2007

In 2007, I had taken up running to spend more time with my dad. He loves to run and I thought no better way to spend time with him then to do something active and healthy. I was NOT a long distance runner by any means but decided to become one for my dad. I use to run your occasional 5k or 10k for fun, but nothing like 13.1 miles (1/2 Marathon).  Well in February of 2007 I ran my first ever Mardi Gras 1/2 Marathon with my dad.

After completing my first 1/2 Marathon my dad asked me if I would be willing to train for a full marathon (26.2 miles) He said I could pick any destination I wanted to run and he would do it with me. Well of course, Maui popped into my head VACATION!!!! Then I thought about running in the 85 degree heat and that soon my excitement started to fade. Finally I decided and picked the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C.  In October 2008, I completed my 1st Marathon with my dad, who is my inspiration. All 26.2 miles of it!!!

Matt, 35, Metairie

I just started running again recently and hadn’t ran since grammar school.  I usually ride bikes but I was getting bored with doing the same thing and I was looking for a way to burn more calories in a shorter period of time.  I started off just running a mile or two after work.  Each time I ran I would try to push myself a little bit further. I like the idea that running is just you and the ground.  Besides shoes and water, there is no other equipment you have to worry about. Everything else I do in life requires the best and usually the most expensive gear.  With running,  as long as you have a decent pair of shoes you are good to go.  After building up the endurance to run several miles I just wanted to see how far I could go.  I wanted to do the Mardi Gras half marathon to set a goal for myself and follow through with it.  I like having events to look forward to.  Luckily I got to train with a group.  This is the only reason I made it through my long runs. In the beginning I didn’t have the mental or physical strength to run for more than 30 minutes.  Over the weeks I learned that if I believed I could do it in my head, my body would follow.

Stephanie, 32, Metairie

I chose to train for the 1/2 marathon just to prove to myself that I could.  I never considered myself a runner and before this I had never ran more than one mile.  I now realize that with a little motivation and training I can acheive whatever I put my mind to. I have learned that my body can physically endure the runs. I just have to keep a positive mental outlook to complete my goal.

Elizabeth, 27, New Orleans

I am not a person to turn down a challenge. When the challenge came to train for the half marathon, I was willing to accept. I was very unsure that I could even do this being that I had never run in my life. Now through the encouragement of my team, I feel like I am ready to complete the challenge.

February 28th 2010 is the 1st ever Rock ‘n’ Roll Mardi Gras Marathon & 1/2 Marathon and will be my group’s 1st time running a 1/2 Marathon. I can not express the excitement and pride I feel about what my team is about to accomplish. I can not wait for them to cross that finish line. I told them from the beginning and it still holds true “There will be no man or woman left behind” and I mean it. We started this journey as a team and we will finish as a team.

In a 2008 New York Times article about the Half Marathon becoming the hottest new distance in running, it estimates that 650,000 people completed half marathons in the US in 2007. A Google search of the US population for 2007 gives a result of 301M total people. This would make the percentage of half-marathon finishers less than 1%.

It is truly an accomplishment in and of itself and I can’t wait to experience it with such an AMAZING group of people….and of course…… my dad who will be right by my side every step of the way.

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Emily Eoff received her M.S., in Health and Exercise Science from Louisiana Tech University, as well as, her B.S. in Kinesiology and Health Promotion. She also holds her personal training and group fitness instructor certificates from some of the leading certification programs in the country. As a motivator, role model, and leader, Emily brings nine years of experience in the health and fitness industry to her XLR8 Fitness business.

Is this your first time running a Marathon or ½ Marathon? We want to hear from you!

Whether you have decided to run the full marathon or the ½ marathon – it’s a big undertaking and we would love to hear and share your story.  What inspired you to sign-up to run? What has your training been like? What have you been learning about yourself in the process of preparing for the race?

There are many people in this city who would never think of training and running a marathon…so I know they would love to hear what is driving you to do it!!  This is your opportunity to share your story and perhaps inspire someone else to take-on the challenge of running a (½) marathon.

Email us at contact@befitnola.com with a paragraph or two telling us your story.  We’ll put the stories together and post them for others to get motivated and inspired!!

I ran into Megan Hargroder (@HeyItsMegan) on Twitter –  As many of you know I’m tracking your tweets for the ones that talk about fitness, working out, and health related matters to RT them with the hash tag #befitnola.  Megan tweeted a few times about Yoga and then came this tweet: Runners who hate to run: first weekly jog today at noon today @ people bridge#NYresolution #getfit from Megan.  That definitely caught my attention.  A second run is scheduled for this Sunday.  I contacted Megan to see if she would enlighten me on what this is all about!

Q. How did you come about creating this run group?

Megan: Actually the group was the brain child of Ryan Lane (@SquidDLane) who hates to run but really loves to stay fit. His idea behind this was to gather as many people as possible who also hate to run so that we could all share our hatred and be miserable together. When he first told me about Runners Who Hate To Run (RWHTR) I knew this was exactly what I needed to get started! I really hate to run but I still WANT to run – so the option of getting started doing this with others like me (instead of experienced runners) seemed like my last hope at making this happen!

Q. What do you hate about running?

Megan: I suck at it! I have absolutely no endurance and after about five minutes I have to stop and walk. It’s completely embarrassing because I actually look like I should be in decent shape. Every time I’ve tried to run in the past, it’s with someone who loves running so I basically get left in the dust and then get really discouraged.

Q. I know you love Yoga so if you really hate to run – Why do it?

Megan: I actually JUST started practicing yoga a week ago at Life Yoga on Magazine. It’s really my ideal workout because it involves stretching and building strength and endurance.  The type of yoga I’m doing isn’t cardio, though, and that’s necessary for a well-balanced workout routine. Plus, I’m hoping that by forcing myself to run (but not pushing myself too hard) I will eventually enjoy it. Additionally, running outside is free!

Q. How was the turnout at last week’s run?

Megan: It was the first RWHTR session, so there were actually only four of us – Ryan, myself, my girlfriend and our friend Tom who was in town and isn’t much into working out but was a great sport about the entire thing. After the run, we had a ton of messages from people who saw our posts too late but that were interested – so I think we will have a great turnout this Sunday!

Q. What do you think is going to motivate people to come run –  who really do hate it?

Megan: The main motivation for joining RWHTR is that you will be in the company of like-minded runners! There’s no commitment; you don’t have to come every time, and you can complain all you want and quit when you want. This is for people who HATE to run but want to run because of the health benefits and physical results.

Q. Is everyone free to go at his or her own pace or is it more of a group run?

Megan: Once more people start coming, it will definitely be a “go at your own pace” type of thing. Even now, we have a “no runner gets left behind” policy. I’m probably the slowest and least in-shape person and am always like “F this!” So if any runner gets tired, I will gladly stop and walk with them.

Q. Are people who love to run welcomed?

Megan: Of course! We need all the motivation we can get!

Q. What exactly are your New Year’s fitness goals?

Megan: My goals are to tone up, eat better and exercise regularly. So far so good! Here’s my planned routine for 2010:

MWF – 15 minute jog at 7a.m.

Sunday – 1 hour RWHTR at 1p.m.

Sunday – 1 hour yoga class at Life Yoga at 4p.m.

Wednesday – 1 hour yoga class at Life Yoga at 4:30 p.m.

The idea behind that schedule is that I wanted to make goals that I could really stick to. My morning runs are so short that I just roll out of bed, jog a couple of blocks and then go inside and make coffee. Short morning jogs really give you tons of energy throughout the day. Yoga is really therapeutic for me, so I don’t consider that a chore but more like a leisure (even though it is hard work), and the RWHTR jog on Sundays is basically my once a week “challenge” to myself.

Well, there you have it folks!  If you hate to run, RWHTR is the group for you to be surrounded with like-minded souls and get a fabulous cardio workout in.  Megan is setting the example and being part of leading the way in living a healthy lifestyle in New Orleans.  Also, stay tune as Megan will be blogging for Be Fit NOLA – she is going to share more about her adventures as a new Yoga enthusiast, she’ll share her story of how she quit smoking and tips to help others do the same and although she is not a health expert – she is someone new to embracing living a healthy lifestyle and is passionate about sharing what she’s learning.