My blog has moved

As of June 2015 my blog posts will be in the Supportersize web site, please visit supportersize.org/blog

Thank You

Posture Training

Good posture affects both your physical body as well as your emotional and mental well-being. It is very important during exercise, having good posture has many benefits. By positioning the body correcting while sitting and standing, there is even pressure on the spine, its muscles and ligaments. Having good posture can reduce physical stress on the body.

Art of Manliness published excerpts from FM 21-20, an Army field manual from 1946 that includes the physical training program used by GIs during WWII. I love how simple and appropriate it is.

This series may offer you practical suggestions on exercises to incorporate into your own workouts, or simply inspire you to get in shape and embody the kind of strength and fitness that would make your grandpa proud!

We Did Not Evolve to Sit at Desks All Day

While I exercise 5-6 days a week, most of the rest of my week is spent at my desk.  The information age (the age we’re in today) is easily the worst. Within the digital world we can get almost anything we want with very little movement required. All it takes is a quick Google search and a couple of clicks. In under an hour, dinner is on your table without you having to do a lick.

As a quick test, try this now: Standing feet shoulder-width apart, can you reach down and touch your toes without bending your knees? If not, you've lost one of the most basic movement capabilities you should have as a human.

Jonathan Mead has a great post with some great advise and routines to improve ourselves.

First Half Marathon Since I Was Diagnosed with Cancer

Twenty months ago I was diagnosed with Lung Cancer stage 4, and last week I was proud of myself for participating in the fist half marathon trail run since my diagnosis. I am training for the 2015 Transrockies event and as part of my training I am participating in races that are getting longer and more challenging.

This race is a hardy test for trail runners of any level, The North Face Endurance Challenge New York winds along the western shores of the Hudson River and through the craggy foothills of the Catskill Mountains. There were plenty of rocks and challenging terrain along the course to keep me engaged. It was a lot of fun and I learned that I still have work to do on my strength and nutrition leading to my summer race of 56 miles over 3 days.

This is what Supportersize is all about

Training for Transrockies 2015

My week is filled with physical activities between soccer, yoga, trail running and surfing. But this year I took a new challenge; participate in the PepsiCo Transrockies Run3, a 3 day trail run in Colorado, 58 miles, 8,600 feet elevation gain. I decided to take this challenge upon myself to promote my non profit, Supportersize which organizes physical activities for people with Caner.



To prepare for this event I retained a coach, Jacob Puzey of McMillan Running which hopefully can help me prepare for this unusual event. I am very excited, about the training and about the event itself, and hopefully the attention I can get for Supportersize, it is so important to get people who live with Cancer active.

How Exercise May Aid Cancer Treatment

I registered to participate in the Transrockies 2015 as a way to draw attention to a very important (to me) cause - promoting exercise to people impacted by Cancer.
This article in the New York Times is a great story with some facts about what I know from personal experience.

Getty images

Running for Life

Ariella Gintzler wrote a great article at #Trailrunnermag. It's great not because it is about me, but because it really captures what my family and I are going through, living with cancer and trying to build a momentum behind the non profit I founded #Supportersize that provides free outdoor and exercise events and physical activities for people living with cancer.

5 ways to measure your running success – beyond the PR

I just realized that I started running around the age of 13, that is 37 years of running! Initially it was a way to stay in shape for another sport I was focused on; until the age of 21 I played volleyball semi professionally and running was part of training. Later I just ran on regular basis to stay in shape until I was 38 when I picked up Triathlon, at which point running was the sport.

Now, again, running is a way to stay in shape and support my battle with cancer.  Ashley Marcin lists in this article few other ways to measure your running success.


Photo credit: João Lavinha / Foter / CC BY

Running Gear and 5 unusual suggestions...

One of my favorite things about running is that it is cheap, and very simple to execute - get dressed and go... but I also love the gadgets! I love the data: how many miles I ran this week, elevation gains, how many hours I trained last week and so on. I started recording data on Mapmyrun.com shortly after I was diagnosed with cancer and went through surgery and chemo therapy. I wanted to follow my progress towards recovery and regaining my fitness. 

JASON FITZGERALD wrote a cool article here about the topic.

Photo credit: Ran Yaniv Hartstein / Foter / CC BY

What makes a trail runner?

I started running trails several years ago, after I stopped competing in Triathlons and before I was diagnosed with Cancer. Trail running is a great way to stay in shape, get a whole body work out and get in touch with nature. I am now training for The PepsiCo TransRockies 3 Day Run, a multi-day point-to-point trail running race which allows athletes to access and traverse wild and fantastic scenery.

I decided to do this to build awareness to the non profit I founded which helps people with Cancer get active and stay in shape. This article is a great review of what is so great about trail running.

Photo credit: spyjournal / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND

Marijuana, Cannabis, and Weed - what does it have to do with trail running?

I became quite familiar with the benefits of Marijuana while going through Chemotherapy. None of the medications prescribed by the Dr. were as effective as weed in fighting the nasty side effects.

Now I learned that it has great impact on Trail Runners, read more in Scott Dunlap's great post on Cannabis and Trail Running. There is a running club called "Run on Grass" great name....

Training, Radiation and a great Indoor Cycling for People with Cancer

Image by Alex Vachon

The past few weeks started with radiation to my brain to eliminate few stubborn lesion and ended with a great Indoor Cycling event, organized by the non profit I started after my diagnosis - Supportersize. The event was awesome, we had about 40 people in the room and the instructor, Kristen James served the perfect combination of inspiration, motivation and hard work.

Image by Roni Chastain

The idea behind Supportersize is to organize outdoor (and indoor when weather is too much for most folks) physical activities for people affected by Cancer and their families. I decided to participate in the 2015 Transrockies Trail Run to build awareness to Supportersize and motivate people with the disease to go out and be active, "Get busy living..." I am telling my story in this blog.

So far, two months into my training, I was challenged quite a bit: started with a nasty calf muscle injury that took three months to heal, and as I was getting better I had to undergo targeted radiation to my brain which added another layer of fatigue, but I am over these two set backs and hopefully moving full steam ahead, just need the trails to get uncovered from 2ft of snow.

Fitness Benefits of Snowshoeing

Weather in NY has been horrific lately with all the snow and freezing temperatures but I wanted to keep training for the 2015 Transrockies event, which meant I had to find ways to get out and continue my outdoor trail running. 

I picked up a pair of snow shows that my wife purchased last year and went out on the trail, it was an awesome day. Just for the kick I looked for some data on the benefits of snow showing, and loved what I found, check this out

5 Tips To Keep Hiking In The Winter

Winter this past two months has been brutal, I never stopped exercising outdoors but going on a trail with that much snow and ice is too much.

I like Casey Schreiner's ideas, although it is probably a lot easier for him writing from South Cal... Read More Here.

Paleo snacks for hikers and trail runners

My stomach went crazy after four rounds of chemo therapy last year, and I was looking for a natural solution before getting on another medicine that was proposed by my Dr.

I adopted the Paleo diet and am on it for about 9 months, with great results. In a nutshell the Paleo diet is “a diet based on the types of foods presumed to have been eaten by early humans, consisting chiefly of meat, fish, vegetables, and fruit, and excluding dairy or grain products and processed food.”

Photo credit: swanksalot / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA

I was worried that being a very active athlete I might be missing nutrients and especially on-the-go snack while on long runs/hikes. Brian Green gives a great review of few options Here

Photo credit: espinr / Foter / CC BY

3 things you will be surprised to learn about hiking!

I am training for the #Transrockies multi day trail event, covering 59 miles and 9,0000 ft elevation gain in three days. I plan on doing lots of hiking during the event, and I'm training for it.

The post at Cascadegear was very informative as far as the energy and efforts used on a trail hike Read More Here










Photo credit: Jeppe Olsen / Foter / CC BY-NC

Ultrarunning: What You Should Know About Multiday Races

Two months ago I started training for Transrockies 2015, a three day trail run covering 58 miles and 9,000 elevation gain. Big challenge especially in light of the fact that the longest event I ever participated in was Half Ironman races, the altitude and the fact that I was recently diagnosed with Lung Cancer.

The challenge in typical ultra-marathons like 50 or 100 milers is obviously how to conquer the distance and reach the finish line. Now imagine having to strive for that goal for two or more consecutive days.

That’s basically what multi-day races are and successfully completing one certainly earns you bragging rights. Few tips and advise at Endurance Planet.






Photo credit: Julia Baykova / Foter / CC BY

10 Weird and Wacky Things Runners Do

We runners are bizarre.  It’s a fact.  Mark Kennedy compiled a list of 10 of his running idiosyncrasies. I can empathize. For the full list Read Here

Read through them and when you’re done, please leave one of yours in the comments. Let’s see what kind of a list we can get going!

What Counting Your Steps Will Teach You About the Value of Running

Now that nearly everyone wears a gadget that counts steps I was curious what running means for step counting. Matt mentions in his post few ways that paying attention to steps has helped him as a runner, and might just help you too.

Read More

Zen and the Art of Calisthenics

Training with nothing but your own body is about as primal as it gets. It also teaches you to become aware of the subtle nuances of movement. Using machines instead of your body-weight neglects this key aspect of fitness.
When you strip away the extraneous equipment, it directs your focus back to your own body.

Read More

Exercise in a Group or Alone? which is better for you?

One of the main drivers to start Supportersize, the non profit that organizes outdoor physical activities for people impacted with Cancer, was my experience over the years of training and exercising alone and with friends.

A new research found that walking in a group is more effective than alone, Read More Here

When to Stretch?

The short Answer: Think about Tootsie Roll! For the detailed explanation

Read More from Jeff Galloway - "Running and Walking until you are 100, Injury free".

Next Time You’re Dreading Going to Run on a Treadmill, Just Watch This

I often dread doing Cardio indoors, but slippery conditions like today in NYC don't leave much choice.... For Inspiration check out This Video

Beginner’s Guide to Long Distance Running

Great advise for every runner, even after miles and miles. Learning to run farther than most people drive in a day isn't the result of crazy-intense workouts or an unnatural gluttony for punishment (ok, maybe that one helps on race day). Instead, it’s the result of consistent, small steps. 

Get out there day after day, challenge yourself a little bit each time, and you can’t help but become stronger, faster, and more durable. Read More Here

How Stress Can Be Good for You

Contrary to popular belief, stress can be a healthy part of our lives. By harnessing stress in the way nature intended – in moderate doses, administered in short bouts, and looked at from the right perspective – it can be a potent power that helps us become our best and rise to life’s challenges.

So instead of always looking for ways to eliminate stress, find more ways to intentionally and positively incorporate it into your life by stepping off the path of comfort and ease from time to time and embracing “The Hard Way" Read More Here

5 mistakes you make while jogging on treadmill

I rarely run indoors, unless the weather is so awful like it was in the NY area this week, and surfaces are too icy.

Indoor cardio machines can be very boring so I enjoyed this piece about how to
improve my indoor cardio workout. Read More Here

Running injuries and training

I finally went on a trail walk/run after several weeks trying to cure my calf muscle injury.
The lethal combination of impatience and age are making the healing process VERY slow.





In my search for advise I came across this articles which describes a very common and similar injury. Read More

Parkour, That sport where you jump from buildings and vault over walls...

This has nothing to do with trail running, cancer or anything I can do, but I wish I could. Many men are drawn to Parkour even if they’re not entirely sure what it is. It’s captivating to see someone move through an environment in ways we had previously not conceived of, and inspiring to witness the human body pushing the very limits of its capabilities.

Plus, it just looks like so much fun and it seems like an important skill to have during the zombie apocalypse when you’ll need to be able outrun a pack of vicious brain-eaters (depending on your theory of their bipedal capabilities, of course). To Read More and the Video

A Field in Motion: Fighting Cancer with Exercise

I was diagnosed with Cancer 15 months ago. Exercise and the outdoors have been critical components in my battle with cancer and treatment recovery. I am a lifelong athlete and sports enthusiast, "getting back in the saddle" was natural/easy for me and I’m reaping the benefits.
Why not help others get out there, get moving? This is how I came with the idea for Supportersize, organizing outdoor physical activities for people impacted by Cancer and their families. We always make a point that "we do not claim to cure Cancer". Having said that, I was excited to learn about the work by exercise scientist Lee Jones who studies the effects of physical activity with scientific rigor. He’s currently the Director of the multidisciplinary Cardio-Oncology Research Program (CORP) at Memorial Sloan Kettering, the great hospital where I am being treated.

He says: "While we've recognized the critical importance of exercise therapy for other diseases since ancient times, the value of exercise in people with cancer was left largely untouched until recently. The prevailing view was that cancer is associated with poor outcomes and patients who either are undergoing or have finished intensive cancer treatments would not be able to tolerate participating in structured exercise programs. Because of this, many patients are still being advised to rest and avoid strenuous activities."

However, things are now changing radically. Read More Here!

How “before and after” fitness pictures are faked...

Don’t get fooled by those “before and after pictures,” especially now, after New Year’s resolution time. Watch this video FIRST

It shows you how the huge difference you see in those pictures can be achieved in less than five hours.

Planning your 2015 race schedule?

Scott Dunlap curated a great list of races for 2015, where does he get the time to train and participate? I am focused on the 2015 Transrockies and will participate in smaller races along the way,

if I am in shape. check out his great list HERE

People will never forget .....

Think of the last autobiography you read or documentary you watched about someone whom you admire. Looking back, did their list of achievements matter more, or was it the impact they made on others along the way? Read More

People are Awesome!

It is sometimes unbelievable what people can do once they put their mind into it... you got to check this out HERE!

The Science Behind Sports and Hapiness

The following infographic explains why I started Supportersize, the not for profit that organizes Free Outdoor athletic activities for people living with Cancer. Research shows that playing sport makes both men and women happier. A 2001 study found that sports with social interactions makes up happier, read more here.

How to Live a Life Without Regrets

90% of people say they have a major regret about something about their lives, and regret is the second most frequently mentioned emotion after love. This infographic discusses the sorts of regrets that haunt us as we try to sleep, and it offers some advice on how to avoid those regrets.Read more about this research here.