An Enhanced View at Independence Day in New York, 2011

The first Monday in July, 2011



That day of summer joy will be Independence day



A day of sun, family and friends



A night of fireworks over Lady Liberty



What will you do in New York to celebrate her 125^th anniversary?



Will you celebrate the beauty of her spirit by reading



“Emma's Poem: The voice of the Statue of Liberty" by Linda Glaser and Claire A. Novala?



Poetry of that beautiful structure that stands on Ellis Island sounds great.



Get your copy here of their work of her history.


Will you cut a juicy watermelon or barbecue spare ribs?



Will you enter the Nathan’s hot dog eating contest in Coney Island?



Will you bake in the sun at Manhattan beach



And take a swim in some of Brooklyn’s finest water?



What a good way to celebrate this great day of summer.



Or maybe you be at the classic car show in Saratoga’s Congress Park Plaza.



Visit http://www.saratogajuly4th.com/index.htm for more info on Saratoga All American Celebration.


Will you gaze into the sky



To watch fireworks light up over the city?



Will you enjoy the day of celebration with family?



Will you be at the party on the flight deck of the Intrepid



Taking in the Macy’s fireworks show?



Will you be watching the movie

Independence Day on Widescreen?

Get your copy of Independence Day Here


and watch it in the comfort of your own home?

Who doesn’t love Will Smith in his air force suit

Defending the earth from an alien invasion?

But that is definitely not the day to be sitting on the couch


Playing all your favorite games on the play station.

Will you be at the four hour top shelf happy hour

At the Hudson Terrace party?

Viewing party will be on West 46^th between 11^th ad 12^th avenue

Visit


http://hudsonterracenyc.com/nightlife/?p=event&i=5 for more info.


Will you start your day in the Cazenovia New York



5 mile to 10 mile races on the morning of July 4^th, bright and early.



What a great way to start your Independence day.



Register by June 24^th to take part. Visit http://www.caz4thrun.org/ to run in the race.


Whatever you do on July 4^th this year



Make sure it is filled with fun and joy



Get up and have a ball all the day long



But don’t forget your sunscreen and water replenishments



That you might spend it in dancing in the sun



Enjoying summer’s warm weather and time with family and friends.

Running for a Higher Purpose All Over The World

Everybody has their passion. There is that one thing for everybody, which seems to bring a genuine smile to the face. For me, it is singing. Some people love to dance. Others enjoy running.

The idea of a love for running was no surprise to me. My best friend in college was on the track team and he was an amazing runner. I had a young cousin who in her high school days would accomplish incredible feats on the track field. For some, running is their life.

On Saturday, May 21^st, 2011, there was a half marathon in Brooklyn, NY.  Over 8,000 runners gathered to run 13.1 miles across Brooklyn. The race began at 7AM in Prospect Park and ended on Coney Island’s boardwalk. Some of the running clubs that took part were Van Cortland Track Club, ING, Central Park Track Club, New York Flyers, Dashing Whippets, Prospect Park Track Club and Christian Runners Group.

I became very interested when one of the many runners from the Christian Runners group stopped and told me about their organization. The Christian Runners do not only run in marathons in groups, but run throughout different cities in entire groups and encourage others to come and run or walk. Their organization’s headquarter is in Atlanta, but they have locations around the United States and Canada and overseas.

The important thing is to get out there and do it to give your heart that love it needs. Maybe you have found interest in gaining running stamina but never pursued it. Or perhaps you or someone you love has found a desire to do more walking but hasn’t felt comfortable going alone. The Christian Runners Organization has found a way to make a difference in that. They run together to further the kingdom of God. They seek fellowship and encourage like a family would to fight against that deadly disease known as heart disease that take so many lives unnecessarily. I’m actually thinking about getting up one morning to do their 7AM session. They have different distances for runners and walkers and I can appreciate that.  But first, I think I might pick up a good pair of sneakers.

It has been said that after running on the same pair of sneakers for about six months, the support is no longer there.  I like Ryka sneakers. Have you ever tried them?  I have flat feet and they have a great arch.  Ryka sneakers seem to have just the right amount of support for my ankles and ever since I was introduced to them by Avon back in 2003, I have been wearing Ryka faithfully. Check out the full line of  Ryka Sneakers  at Amazon. Hopefully you’ll find the right running sneaker for you also.

The thought of running aside the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn seems pretty interested but I am not much of a runner. So I’ll walk sometimes and run sometimes. And you can join too. Check out their website at http://www.christianrunners.org to find out when and where the next meet up run/walk will be in your area and sign up to be a part. Maybe I’ll see you there some day.

Let's Talk Cardio!!!

I remember the first time I went to the gym to work with a trainer. It was an incredible experience. He pushed me to the limit and even though sometimes I objected or whined about how much I couldn’t do it, I did.  Those were some excellent workouts that he had me doing and until today, I cherish the thought of having someone get you to know the power that you truly have within. 

During one of my sessions, the trainers were competing against each other. Their trainers were to do a series of exercises, workout progress and more.  One of the tests us trainees had to do was to run on the treadmill for 12 minutes. Since that was a part of my daily routine with him, I knew it would be a piece of cake.

I started on my 12 minutes and when I reached a mile, I got a little lazy and stopped really pushing. I ended doing about 1.1 mile in 12 minutes. While I thought that was great, the rating I received was average. I was surprised but also motivated to come up some.

Everyday from that point on, I was on a mission to do 1.5 miles of running in 12 minutes and after a few tries, I accomplished it.  Bally’s Fitness Club seems to make it even easier for their customers to stay on the treadmills. For one, now the treadmills have fans on them.  Seems a little odd right?  You are on the treadmill sweating and having the fan blow right at your chest. Catching a cold was my initial worry. Yet, for some reason, I seem to look for the ones with the fans now because it makes the running experience great.

Another thing is that Bally’s has these big screen televisions strewn across the wall. On some screens, you can watch the videos of the exercise music that is streaming in the background.  Others show sports programs. Then there are other screens that have popular shows on them. The television is a good option. Though sometimes I like to bring a magazine to read while I am walking, you can’t really read and run at the same time; so the television is a good distracter from checking the time left ever two seconds. There is something else and better to focus on.

Though running is one of the most effective ways to lose belly fat, it is not the only exercise that you can do to give your heart the love it deserves. Jogging, speed and moderate walking are also great cardiovascular exercises. If you are the type of person who enjoys sprint running, run.  Some people might prefer jogging; so jog.  But jog to the best of your ability to nurture your heart.

If you are unable to run, don’t let it discourage you from showing your heart love.  Walk! Walking is excellent. Next time you get on the train, get off one stop earlier than normal and walk. Instead of getting off the train and waiting for the cross town buses, walk the three city blocks. Three city blocks are equivalent to a half a mile. Instead of driving to the supermarket up the block and around the corner, walk. Do a community walk. Even some of the marathons get individuals who instead walk for five miles. Not only are they great workouts but they are also charity events.

I actually tried walking home from school one day. A 2.9 mile walk took me 45 minutes and I felt invigorated. It is not about distance or time but more about doing the necessary actions to keep your heart healthy. The more exercises you do that benefit the heart, the less of a chance you have for developing preventable diseases.   Why not do something for your heart today and get into the keep your heart happy and healthy exercises. 

If you know of any others that might benefit each other, please share it because I am very interested. Hope to be chatting with you soon.