Two Ears One Mouth

The other day I sent a text to my sister that went something like, "Remember when I used to write a blog? That was fun." I spend a lot of time nowadays watching my head movies (as RER calls them) and when you have tons of time to think you can come up with all sorts of things to write about. What I'm saying is, my absence isn't due to a lack of material. Since today is my last day as a 26 year old I thought I'd at least throw something together very quickly for the sake of...I don't know, 26-ing. Also yes, tomorrow is my birthday! Here are 26 things I've learned or thought about since beginning Ironman training:  My laundry is finally being done regularly. I only have 4 sports bras and 1 bathing suit so laundry needs to be done all the time . I truly don't have time for things. You know how you say you'll call someone or write that blog or watch that show but you never have time because you're too busy doing some equally unnecessary ta...

Dr. BJ Fogg , creator of Tiny Habits recently had an article featured in ACE ProSource where he revealed the secrets to creating habits. It is a brilliant (and long) article that you can read in full here . For your reading pleasure, here's the Clif's Notes version put together by myself with some of the highlights and ways you can create the habits you want in your life. Simplify the Behavior Dr. Fogg used a very simple example, flossing his teeth, as the habit he wanted to create so the first thing to consider when trying to create habits of your own would be the simplicity of the action. When considering flossing his teeth, Fogg scales the behavior back to its simplest form, flossing just one tooth. "I knew that simplicity could mean the difference between doing a behavior and not doing it." The key to behavior change according to Fogg is to focus on making the new behavior automatic and to also make that behavior something that will not require a large tim...

Thanksgiving may be over but the holiday parties are just beginning. Between friends getting together, the staff holiday gathering and running from store to store for the perfect gifts, it's easy to reach the end of the day feeling unaccomplished and with a missed workout hanging over your head. There is a way to change the expected outcome and it is through using one of my favorite tools, scheduling! I know my Type B's out there may not love this idea but when it comes to a crazy time of year when obligations are piling up, it's a surefire way to keep it all together and actually enjoy the season. So how can  you  manage life when it seems to be going in too many directions? Here are 3 tips to successful holiday scheduling that I included in the RCM Training December newsletter. 1. Get a Calendar You Will Use  If you spend a lot of time on your phone, tablet or computer, buying a planner you have to write in most likely won't do you much good since it will requir...

Do people ever say to you, "You look normal"? Let me explain... Ever since I first started actively working on this personal training thing, I've had my doubts. Not necessarily about my ability to learn and apply the information but in my looks . Whether or not we want to believe it, the fitness industry and fitness world can be incredibly superficial. It can also be a place that fosters learning, support and encouragement. I was 19 and at least 40 pounds lighter than I am now when I first thought about becoming a personal trainer and even then I didn't think I was fit/pretty/fast enough to do it. So I didn't. I settled for my degree in Communication which has gotten me...um... well what it didn't (or at least hasn't yet) get me was satisfaction or a sense of purpose. Years later I finally decided to jump into this new career despite my doubts because I did have a support system who encouraged me it was possible. Who encouraged me that I did have k...

RCM Training (aka Me) had a big weekend! One of my many activities included speaking at the How to Festival hosted by the Louisville Free Public Library . My friend Amy put me in touch with the lovely library folks and they asked me to give a presentation on How to Train for a 5K. I was really excited. So much fun presenting at the #SWHowToFest today! Recruited some new 5k-ers! #RCMstrong #RCMtraining A photo posted by Rennay Cooke Marshall (@rnay225) on Nov 11, 2014 at 8:58am PST So in case you missed it, here are my 5 tips for getting to your first 5K... 1. Figure Out Your Why • Answer the question: Why do I want to do this? Think about what you want to gain and what you’re willing to sacrifice. • Exercise can’t be done for somebody else 2. Pick a Course that Plays to Your Strengths • This is directly related to your why. • What kind of atmosphere works for you? A fun run? A smaller yet more competitive field? A large family-friendly event with l...

I'm pretty sure my first words as a baby were "I can do" which was a good indication of who I'd grow into. I'm super stubborn and hate hate  asking for help. I have no idea why. Maybe I always saw it as a sign of weakness or just thought I was a superhuman genius but I was always so incredibly embarrassed to need help with anything growing up. source As I got older I learned that needing help was necessary because I didn't (and didn't want to) know everything about everything. I finally accepted that there were people who were experts and that those people weren't me. But what I also realized was that I too could become a so-called expert in something! Now I have issues with the use of the term "expert" as nobody ever really knows everything  about something but for today's purposes we'll go with it. Nobody knows everything but there are definitely people out there who know a lot  about one thing and that was who I strived to ...