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Tried & True
In over 20 years of training, I’ve learned many things about how to keep myself fit and healthy so I can continue to perform at a competitive age-group level. I demand a lot of my body, day in and day out. Below I have listed a variety of people, businesses, products and “apps” that assist me in my training and life long pursuit of longevity.

Body Work
One area in which I do not skimp is body work. I make the time and will always justify spending the money so that I can continue to have fun and perform well.

I have worked with a variety of different people and modalities over the years. I am always interested to try different techniques and styles. I am constantly mixing it up to keep me limber, loose and pliable.

For those of you who live in my area, I hope you will take advantage of my experiences and take the time to see the variety of folks that I consider friends and “partners” in my training life.  Make sure you tell them I sent you.

Floatation Therapy

This is my latest fascination. I have started to go every other month and have found it healing, soothing and relaxing.

What is floating?

I found this on the iFloatCT.com: As explained by a pre-eminent scientist, “Floating is a method of attaining the deepest rest that humankind has ever experienced.” Essentially, it’s spending an hour or so lying quietly in the dark, suspended in a warm solution of Epsom salt, about 10″ deep, and so dense that you float effortlessly. In short, it’s complete mental and physical relaxation.

I describe it as “the Dead Sea” on steroids. You float in a tub that is filled with about 10 inches of water filled with 1000 pounds of Epsom salt.  There is no other time in your life when you do not have to fight gravity (unless you’re an astronaut). It allows you to fully relax. It is a relaxation you have never felt before. Instead of saying you are in dark room with no light or sound, I would say that it’s more of a place where your senses or reduced, not deprived. You can determine how much light and sound you would like. Over time, you will come to seek out the dark space where your mind can feel free to wander.

I found floating to beneficial for me, physically. At times my lower back gets cranky and most recently I found it was gone completely after I floated! I feel more restful and at peace. To me, it accomplishes much of the same results as a massage. I have added this to my body work regime. I hope you’ll give it a float!

Since July 2015, I have floated in New Jersey, Las Vegas, Seattle and locally in Guilford, Westport, Trumbull and Harwinton, CT.
You can check out this website to find out Where to Float in the US.

Thai Massage

Since 2015, most of my body work has been exclusively thai or ashiatsu massage. This type of massage addresses my desire to be “stretched” and participate in the body work rather than passively have the work done “to” me.

One of the things I love about thai massage is that you wearing loose fitted clothing and there are no oils or creams. I find it restful and rejuvenating. Check out Nicole Arel to learn more about thai massage or book one with her today!

Essential Touch, LLC
Nicole Arel

Ashiastu Barefoot Massage is something else that I really enjoy and find quite beneficial for recovery from endurance races and training. As Sachiyo explained it to me, she is able to apply more pressure with her feet because she is using her whole body weight while holding onto the bars in the ceiling. It’s hard to explain, but if you like deep pressure massages, I highly recommend you give it a try.

Kooma Massage Therapy
Sachiyo Langlois

The Strongworks

The Strongworks
Owen Drolet
125 LaSalle Road
West Hartford, CT 06107
thestrongworks@me.com

I have been working with Owen since November 2014…religiously. Although strength training has never been my favorite type of activity, I know that as my body ages, this type of training will keep me strong. Super-slow strength training only needs to be done 1-2 times per week for no more than 20 minutes. It can easily be fit into your day. No excuses! Go see Owen for a consultation. It’ll change the way you think of this type of training and make a huge difference in your performance. And if you’re not looking for race performance, it will help you stay fit and healthy with very little time commitment.  It’s a win-win!

Check out his website to learn more, and see a few photos of “yours truly!”

Integrated Physical Therapy

Integrated Physical  Therapy
DJ Horn
609 Farmington Avenue, Suite 103
Hartford, CT 06105
860-241-1144

I started going to see DJ Horn in 2008 when I was experiencing some weird pain in my right pinky finger. I know…who really cares about your pinky fingers. I didn’t really affect anything I did training-wise. But, my kids were small at the time and when they would grab my hand, I would scream (and not sounds of joy).  Occasionally, I would knock it against something and again, a pain would reverberate through my body.

I saw an hand specialist and he gave me a painful (are there any other kind?) cortisone shot. Happily, I was pain free for a few months. The pain, however, returned and I wasn’t in the mood to keep drugging my smallest digit.

A friend suggested I see DJ Horn as she specialized in cranio-sacral therapy. I had no idea what that was, but was willing to try it. Within a few session, the pain was literally gone and has never returned! The work is very gentle and you may not believe she’s doing anything. But, if you do believe, you will be rewarded. Trust me.

Jim Durant's Myofascial Therapy

Jim Durant
361 Park Road
West Hartford, CT 06119
Cell phone: 860-202-2433
jimdur21@gmail.com
Call him first to talk about how he can help you. Once you set a time to meet, any further communication is best done via text.

Balance Massage Therapy

Balance Massage Therapy, LLC
Cailin McBee
860-508-3336

Cailin gives a wonderful relaxing, healing massage. If that’s what you’re looking for, she’s your gal.

Therapeutic Body Works

Therapeutic Body Works
Lisa Hughes
860-218-2038

Lisa is a terrific massage therapist who incorporates a lot of her athletic training background on many of her clients.
She is also available for personal training and it’s extremely knowledgeable and passionate.

Sharon Sklar Rolfing

Sharon Sklar Rolfing
West Hartford, CT
860-561-4337

Rolfing is not for everyone. It can be intense and at times a bit painful.  If you can learn to breathe through it, you will come out the other side more aligned and pain-free. Check out Sharon’s website to learn more. Or give her a call to see if it’s what you need. She’s a pro and loves helping people!

Technology
Living with my “geeky” husband (and I say that in the most loving of ways), I cannot help but be the guinea pig for many of the applications and products he has read about over the years. Some of these gems have become an integral part of my training. I’ve take some time to list a few of my favorites here.

Pzizz

For nearly a year, I’ve been using an NAP app called Pzizz.
It’s a guided meditation nap that has truly revolutionized how I function past 6:00 p.m.  I am not overstating the effect it has had on my life.

I don’t know if it’s the combination of getting older and the fact that I’m still putting in a lot of training hours, but taking a 10-15 minute snooze between 1-4pm makes a huge difference in my late-afternoon, early evening productivity and general attitude and behavior.

If you haven’t tried Pzizz…you don’t know what you’re missing. A short nap can really be the assist you need to not only “get through” the rest of the day, but make the most if it!

Strava

I only use Strava this for biking, but I cannot believe it’s taken me all these years to finally start using it. Not only is practical for my cycling coach to see all of my data he needs to see, it’s just so much fun.
Due to it’s crowd sourcing content, other users create segments that you “ride” over during your outdoor cycling. When you hit a “segment” you can see how well you did against other all other riders, or just one gender, or against yourself.  It’s addicting, but really fun. One recent ride, I did the same segment 3 times over the course of a 2.5 hour ride (don’t ask) and I nailed the exact same time each time. This showed me that I was fueling and hydrating properly so fatigue never set in.

I’m sure there are more sophisticated ways to use Strava, but for now, I’m just having a blast beating my own times and trying to become Queen of the Mountain on some short climb in New Britain, CT!

Fitbit

FitBitLately I’ve been curious to see if my sleep patterns have any effect on my training. I supposed I could have just noted when I went to sleep and then when I woke. But, that would have been too easy. I was also curious to know how deep my sleep is and how many times I wake during the night. I decided to try a Fitbit to monitor this activity (of course). I had no intention of using it to track my movements through steps taken, floors climbed, etc.  When I signed up I noticed that you could find friends and engage in some healthy competition regarding who has taken the most steps, won the most badges, etc. I resisted this urge to challenge my husband, my sister and nephew.

During the week of Thanksgiving, I had to take a break from serious training for 2 weeks. I needed to recover from some elective surgery. So, I grabbed my Fitbit and started walking, and walking and walking. It wasn’t long before I was atop the leaderboard of my “Fitbit Friends.”

While I don’t need this little tool to motivate me to move, it was a good distraction while I was recovering from surgery.

So much for taking it easy.

Jim Durant
361 Park Road
West Hartford, CT 06119
Cell phone: 860-202-2433
jimdur21@gmail.com
Call him first to talk about how he can help you. Once you set a time to meet, any further communication is best done via text.

The Strongworks
Owen Drolet
125 LaSalle Road
West Hartford, CT 06107
thestrongworks@me.com

I have been working with Owen since November 2014…religiously. Although strength training has never been my favorite type of activity, I know that as my body ages, this type of training will keep me strong. Super-slow strength training only needs to be done 1-2 times per week for no more than 20 minutes. It can easily be fit into your day. No excuses! Go see Owen for a consultation. It’ll change the way you think of this type of training and make a huge difference in your performance. And if you’re not looking for race performance, it will help you stay fit and healthy with very little time commitment.  It’s a win-win!

Check out his website to learn more, and see a few photos of “yours truly!”

Integrated Physical  Therapy
DJ Horn
609 Farmington Avenue, Suite 103
Hartford, CT 06105
860-241-1144

I started going to see DJ Horn in 2008 when I was experiencing some weird pain in my right pinky finger. I know…who really cares about your pinky fingers. I didn’t really affect anything I did training-wise. But, my kids were small at the time and when they would grab my hand, I would scream (and not sounds of joy).  Occasionally, I would knock it against something and again, a pain would reverberate through my body.

I saw an hand specialist and he gave me a painful (are there any other kind?) cortisone shot. Happily, I was pain free for a few months. The pain, however, returned and I wasn’t in the mood to keep drugging my smallest digit.

A friend suggested I see DJ Horn as she specialized in cranio-sacral therapy. I had no idea what that was, but was willing to try it. Within a few session, the pain was literally gone and has never returned! The work is very gentle and you may not believe she’s doing anything. But, if you do believe, you will be rewarded. Trust me.

Therapeutic Body Works
Lisa Hughes
20 Jefferson Street, Suite 3
West Hartford, CT 06110
860-218-2038

Lisa is a terrific massage therapist who incorporates a lot of her athletic training background on many of her clients.
She is also available for personal training and it’s extremely knowledgeable and passionate.

Market Square Wellness
Scott Raymond
100 Market SquareNewington, CT
860-667-0949

Scott Raymond has some of the strongest hands I’ve ever had work on me. For a good, deep tissue massage, Scott is top-notch.

Sharon Sklar Rolfing
West Hartford, CT
860-561-4337

Rolfing is not for everyone. It can be intense and at times a bit painful.  If you can learn to breathe through it, you will come out the other side more aligned and pain-free. Check out Sharon’s website to learn more. Or give her a call to see if it’s what you need. She’s a pro and loves helping people!

Balance Massage Therapy, LLC
Cailin McBee
39 Talcott Road
West Hartford, CT 06110
860-508-3336

Cailin gives a wonderful relaxing, healing massage. If that’s what you’re looking for, she’s your gal.

This is my latest fascination. I have started to go every other month and have found it healing, soothing and relaxing.

What is floating?

I found this on the iFloatCT.com: As explained by a pre-eminent scientist, “Floating is a method of attaining the deepest rest that humankind has ever experienced.” Essentially, it’s spending an hour or so lying quietly in the dark, suspended in a warm solution of Epsom salt, about 10″ deep, and so dense that you float effortlessly. In short, it’s complete mental and physical relaxation.

I describe it as “the Dead Sea” on steroids. You float in a tub that is filled with about 10-12 inches of water filled with 100 pounds of Epsom salt.  There is no other time in your life when you do not have to fight gravity (unless you’re an astronaut). It allows you to fully relax. It is a relaxation you have never felt before. Instead of saying you are in dark room with no light or sound, I would say that it’s more of a place where your senses or reduced, not deprived. You can determine how much light and sound you would like. Over time, you will come to seek out the dark space where your mind can feel free to wander.

I found floating to beneficial for me, physically. At times my lower back gets cranky and most recently I found it was gone completely after I floated! I feel more restful and at peace. To me, it accomplishes much of the same results as a massage. I have added this to my body work regime. I hope you’ll give it a float!

Since July 2015, I have floated in New Jersey, Westport and more locally in Harwinton, CT.
Check out The Healing Trail in Harwinton. Make sure you tell them I sent you!

Or you can check out this website to find out Where to Float in the US.

Pzizz
For nearly a year, I’ve been using an NAP app called Pzizz.
It’s a guided meditation nap that has truly revolutionized how I function past 6:00 p.m.  I am not overstating the effect it has had on my life.

I don’t know if it’s the combination of getting older and the fact that I’m still putting in a lot of training hours, but taking a 10-15 minute snooze between 1-4pm makes a huge difference in my late-afternoon, early evening productivity and general attitude and behavior.

If you haven’t tried Pzizz…you don’t know what you’re missing. A short nap can really be the assist you need to not only “get through” the rest of the day, but make the most if it!

Strava
I only use this for biking, but I cannot believe it’s taken me all these years to finally start using it. Not only is practical for my cycling coach to see all of my data he needs to see, it’s just so much fun.
Due to it’s crowd sourcing content, other users create segments that you “ride” over during your outdoor cycling. When you hit a “segment” you can see how well you did against other all other riders, or just one gender, or against yourself.  It’s addicting, but really fun. One recent ride, I did the same segment 3 times over the course of a 2.5 hour ride (don’t ask) and I nailed the exact same time each time. This showed me that I was fueling and hydrating properly so fatigue never set in.

I’m sure there are more sophisticated ways to use Strave, but for now, I’m just having a blast beating my own times and trying to become Queen of the Mountain on some short climb in New Britain, CT!

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