On the Run: Kevin Wales

Kevin Wales (left) and friends at an LSU tailgate.

Kevin Wales finished the Rock ‘n’ Roll Mardi Gras Half Marathon in February, raising more than $5,000 for NF research. For Kevin, who has NF1, this half marathon meant much more than completing 13.1 miles. “It meant doing something that at one time in my life would have been inconceivable,” said Kevin.

Kevin broke his right femur in March 1991 when he was in eighth grade. He was in the hospital, had to have to his leg in a cast, enduring many days of physical therapy. It took months for his leg to be back at full strength. Kevin’s orthopedist had to write a letter to his high school exempting him from physical education courses because of concern for further injury. Although Louisiana required two years of physical education to graduate, his doctor’s letter trumped the requirement; he had to take alternate courses instead.

So when Kevin crossed the finish line of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Mardi Gras Half Marathon, it meant much more — accomplishing something he never thought possible. “To be able to run 13.1 miles after nearly 19 years after that life-changing event, is, well, life-changing in and of itself,” said Kevin.
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Fundraising Secret: Modify letters. Kevin sent out more than 100 letters to his friends, family and community members. However, he tailored letters by how well the recipient knew him and how much they knew about what NF has done to him. For example, because his sister and three of her five children have NF, he could cut out how NF affected him personally.  For other letters, he had to be more specific, without getting into too much detail, as he wanted to keep the letters down to one page only.

Training Tips: Start small. When he started training in the latter part of June of 2009, Kevin could barely finish three miles. His first goal was four miles, then five, until he could gradually increase his mileage to double digits. “Once I started focusing just on distance and ignored speed, I noticed that my speed on race days increased!” said Kevin. “When I was able to run 12 miles in late January and didn’t feel any pain afterward, plus no soreness the next day, I knew that I was ready.”

Take Three with Tracy: Cold Weather Cycling Tips

The winter of 2010 may go down in history as the coldest, snowiest one in 50 years.  Whether you live in the northeast or in the panhandle of Texas, many cyclists have found themselves frustrated by low mileage in the saddle over the past few months. So, what is a cyclist to do when there is a foot of snow outside or the normal winter temperatures have taken a nosedive and the great outdoors are no longer conducive for a 25 mile ride?  Instead of focusing on what we can not do, let’s choose to focus on what we can.

Here are three CAN do tips to maintain cycling fitness:
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Mix it Up — Training Tips from Anna

“Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”
– John Wooden

FAQ #1:  How important is it to vary my workouts?  Is it okay to run and do nothing else?
It depends on your goals! Are you happy with your fitness level? Do you want to improve your strength, decrease your body fat or weight? Are you preparing for any fun races or triathlons? Your workouts should be designed to help you achieve your goals or advance your fitness level. The body likes change and demand. When you place a demand on the body greater than what it’s accustomed to, it will get stronger and change. If you don’t vary your exercise, than you will either become over-trained from the same routine or just hit a plateau.

It’s important to vary your workouts for a few reasons:
1. If you’ve hit a plateau and are not getting further results.
2. If you have been doing the same workouts for more than six months and you are starting to feel more tired and less energized, than you may be overtraining or not cross training properly.
3. If you are working out seven days a week for an hour and you feel good, but are not losing weight or seeing a change in your body, you might have adapted to your workouts and now need to change the routine or vary the intensities.

It’s important to listen to your body, track your progress and seek help from a professional if needed.

The Best Way to Start Running

If you can walk continuously for 30 minutes, you can transition into a running program by gradually adding running to a couple walks per week. Start running at an easy pace, stop as soon as you’re breathing hard. Walk until you feel recovered, then run again. It doesn’t matter how long you can run for, just go for it. As you get fitter, gradually you will run more and walk less. It is extremely important to stretch after each workout and drink plenty of water during the day to stay hydrated.

Example of Start Up Schedule:

1st Month – Weeks 1-4
Three days per week: Walk 10 minutes. Run-walk 15 minutes. Walk 5 minutes.
Two days per week: Walk for 30 minutes

2nd Month – Weeks 5-8
Three days per week: Walk 5 minutes. Run-walk 20 minutes. Walk 5 minutes.
Two days per week: Walk for 30 minutes

3rd Month – Week 9-12
Three days per week: Walk 2 minutes. Run-walk 25 minutes. Walk 3 minutes.
Two days per week: Walk 30 minutes

Along with Anna’s expert training experience, DVD performances and affiliations, she is a running enthusiast, completing the 2009 San Diego Rock n’ Roll Marathon, 2007 & 2008 La Jolla Half Marathon, 2008 Carlsbad 5K and 2005 Boston Half Marathon.