The Importance of Planning Rest Days

This is the latest blog post by AllSport GPS Ambassador Ben Davis

You're going to need rest days. You're going to need them for your physical and mental health, so be sure to schedule them systematically in your weekly plans.

You do not want to risk injury or getting burned out (just as debilitating) by doing too much each week. I usually do one rest day and one easy day. Easy meaning I don't time myself, or the distance, and take walk breaks liberally. 45 minutes to an hour of soft, easy exercise. It helps keep the head clear and I usually find myself getting great ideas on these days. Exercise fuels creativity.

Fight that nagging voice that tells you you're being lazy on rest days. You need them.

Some ideas for what you can do during rest days to help you feeling good about your plan.

• Get out your yoga mat and do some light stretches and relaxation stuff.
• Write a weekly recap of your training. It'll remind you just how good you're actually doing.
• Do an outdoor date or family night out.

Stay active, do your thing, but don't overdo. Take a day off. You deserve it.

Do good, do life

Getting Started on the Path to Physical Fitness

This is the latest blog post by AllSport GPS Ambassador Ben Davis

How to start?

It's one of the tougher questions we can ask ourselves when we've been stuck in an unhealthy routine for so long. Maybe we perceive ourselves to be "too far gone," maybe we don't believe we can even do it.

But let me tell you something that helped me get started. Think of it as a mental exercise.

Think about what you were doing six months ago. Think about exactly what was going on in your life. Think about what has happened since then. Think about how fast those six months have gone by.

And now think about this: The next six months are going to go by just as fast. Now think about how cool it would be now if the six-months-ago version of yourself had made some changes. If that version of you had given up the unhealthy life. Maybe started running, maybe gave up smoking, maybe changed your eating habits. Six months of healthy living. You would be a different person today.

Now think about this: You have a chance to be that person right now. These next six months are going to fly by. Make those changes now. A lot can happen in six months.

Go ahead and start today.

Do good, do life.

AllSport GPS Pro is Amazon.com's Free App of the Day

Amazon.com's Free App of the Day has quickly become one of the most popular daily destinations for app users worldwide, and for Thursday August 25th, this promotion got a whole lot more fit.

For the remainder of the day, Android owners can download the full version of AllSport GPS Pro--normally $3.99 (still a fantastic bargain)--for FREE! Yep, that's right. $0.00 for the top fitness app you can get.

So why are you still reading this? Go to the Amazon storefront now, download the app and get out and be active!

Follow the USA Pro Cycling Challenge with Trimble Outdoors

Earlier this week, the USA Pro Cycling Challenge began in Colorado. The Challenge is one of the elite cycling events in the world and far and away the most grueling to be held in the United States.

Over the course of a week, the riders will face daunting courses in the thin air of Colorado's high altitude, all set against the beautiful backdrop of the Rocky Mountains.

Cycling enthusiasts can now follow along with the event thanks to Trimble Outdoors and Bicycling magazine. You can view detailed course maps of all stages of the race online:

Prologue: Monday, August 22nd - Colorado Springs
Stage 1: Tuesday, August 23rd - Salida to Crested Butte
Stage 2: Wednesday, August 24th - Gunnison to Aspen
Stage 3: Thursday, August 25th - Vail
Stage 4: Friday, August 26th - Avon to Steamboat Springs
Stage 5: Saturday, August 27th - Steamboat Springs to Breckenridge
Stage 6: Sunday, August 28th - Golden to Denver

For the latest coverage and news from the Challenge, be sure to check Bicycling.com.

When you hit the cycling path, don't forget to load AllSport GPS on your mobile phone, as it tracks your position as well as over 20 fitness stats so you can maximize the effectiveness of your ride.

Ben Davis Answers Do Life Movement Fan Questions

This is the latest in a series of posts by Do Life Movement founder and AllSport GPS Ambassador Ben Davis.

When I was first starting on my journey to lose weight, I scoured the internet looking for articles and tips and advice and help columns and…and…and… anything I could get my hands on. It’s a natural thing, I think, to look for some answers to those questions, particularly early on.

So let’s do a little of that. Some questions and answers.

I opened it to the Do Life Facebook friends, questions submitted through AllSport GPS site, and some via email and message.

What would be your advice on how to train for a marathon? I've never run more than 13 miles and just the thought of training scares me, never mind the actual race! –Karen

Karen, this is an interesting question because it usually comes from someone who is just getting to 5K or 10K. So to see you already having done 13, you’re a lot closer than you think! It’s going to take slightly more training, but you’ll get there.

And this doesn’t just go for someone who is already at 13 miles; this is for everyone. You have to find a training guide and stick to it. (RunnersWorld.com and HalHigdon.com have great guides). Training plans are something I never knew about when we first started, but something that I’ve realized now even through Ironman, that you have to utilize.

Training for a marathon might seem overwhelming, but when you break it down daily, it’s something that even as a beginner is surprisingly doable (after building a solid foundation, of course). Take it one day at a time and you’ll get there.

When you were overweight and began working out, did you ever feel out of place or "on show"? Were you insecure about it? How did you keep pushing yourself? – No More Tomorrows

Oh definitely. Especially in the pool! But here’s what I found: It’s all in my mind.

Think about it. When was the last time you were driving around, saw an overweight person out exercising and ridiculed them? It doesn’t happen. It’s the exact same for you. No one is out there judging us for trying to better ourselves. More often than not, they’re jealous.

And if someone IS making fun of us or laughing at us, it just goes to show what kind of person they are and has no bearing on us. Let them be bitter and angry and carry on being awesome.

How do you start training for a tri knowing nothing about bikes and how to swim properly? -- Danielle

Put it this way… When we signed up for our first Ironman (2.4 mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2 mile run) I didn’t have a bike and had swum a very minimal amount and with no proper teaching. But that’s the thing, we jump into these things—whatever they may be—not because we’re “ready” for them, but because they excite and intrigue us.

We may be scared, but we’re also determined, and that can go a long way. So buy or borrow a bike, and jump into the local pool. Get comfortable and just try. You’ll be surprised at how far your natural ability will take you. Then, if you need it, get some proper help. Ask lots of questions. Watch videos. Do whatever you need to do. But don’t let the anxiety of something keep you away. It’s incredibly worth it to try.

How do you relate to your old friends who are not into running or healthy anything? Are these relationships awkward now? –Ivana

Not at all. If anything, it’s made those relationships better. We all have our hobbies and lifestyles, but we also are all interested in hearing about those things that we’re not necessarily a part of.

I’ve definitely made new friends who are into running and healthy living and friends I can discuss running splits, triathlon strategies, and bloody nipples with, and that’s great, but no, my friends will always be my friends, no matter our interests.

Do you think you would be as successful if you did not have a strong support system? – Amanda

Definitely not. And it’s the number one piece of advice I have for people. You have to have a team.

I think the hardest part about this, though, is being honest with people that you have something you are struggling with. As humans, our natural instinct is to shy away from revealing our troubles and try to deal with it on our own, but it’s so much easier and more realistic if we have a support system. We have to share the journey. It makes it more fun, it makes it easier, and it makes it that much more satisfying when are successful.

Also, it provides us with an accountability system. It’s much easier to slack when we answer only to ourselves. But when we’re sitting there on the couch thinking about skipping a workout and a text comes in from our workout buddy, we’re going to be motivated to strap on our shoes.

What kept you going on the weight loss when it got hard or slow or boring? – Angie

It’s going to happen for all of us. So be ready for it.

There were a few things. Fear was a big one. Fear of going back to that place, mentally and physically. Life is exponentially better when we’re fit and healthy.

But the biggest thing for me to keep moving forward was to always have something to work toward. If we go into these journeys with nothing official to keep working toward, and we’re just blindly walking into fitness centers and doing an elliptical for 30 minutes a day, we’re definitely going to get burned out. That’s why I suggest getting involved somehow in something official. Maybe it’s a running club or swim class or signing up for races (don’t be scared of races!) But having something to train for always kept me going and to this day I make sure to always have an upcoming race. It’s the number one motivation for me.

Keep chugging along.

Do good. Do life.

How to Find Time for Yourself and Your Fitness Goals

Here is the latest blog post by AllSport GPS Ambassador Ben Davis.

One of the most popular questions I get asked goes something like this:

"I have a full-time job and kids; how am I supposed to add working out or running to my days?"

Now, granted, as a not-married dude who blogs for a living, I'm not the most qualified to answer, but I'll take a crack at it. And I'll do so by first talking about my brother.

My brother, Jed, has two young children, a wife, and he's the head football coach in the south. He's also a two-time Ironman, and four-time marathon finisher. That should quell any argument, but in case it doesn't, I'll go a little further and try to break it down in a more objective, mathematical way.

There are 24 hours in a day.

Right off the bat, let's give seven of those to sleep, nine to work and two hours for getting ready/commuting to and from work. That adds up to 18, leaving six hours in the day. Now, let's give an hour to breakfast and an hour to dinner. Throw in two hours for family time and you're left with two hours let over. Give yourself 30 minutes for television and Internet catchup, then log off and hit the road for a solid hour of working out. And you still have a half-hour to wind down.

It's a very reasonable schedule with three hours of downtime.

Obviously there are going to be exceptions to this, but the list is made up for people who can feasibly add working out to their regimen.

In the end, it all comes down to this: If something is important to us, we're going to find a way to make it work. There's no magic involved--you just have to figure out a way. If you don't prioritize health and fitness, you'll find excuses to skip out.

I suspect, though, that most people can find a half-hour to sneak off and treadmill it up. Find a scrap piece of paper and a sharpie--map out your days on paper and stick to it. Set your DVRs and catch up on your shows on the weekend. Limit your internet time. Skip those after-work drinks two or three nights a week. Do what you have to do, but find a way to make it work. It'll be worth it.

Do good, do life.

A Post-Do Life Tour Q&A with Ben Davis

After the wildly successful Do Life Tour, Ben Davis took some time to answer some questions he received over the course of the Tour.

Now that the tour is over, was it what you expected?
-The tour was so much more than we expected. We knew going in that we were going to have a great summer and meet lots of great people, and we did, but we had no idea how inspiring the whole thing would be. It seemed that each and every one of the participants had an incredible story and an incredible journey. We ran a lot of miles, and shared lots of hugs and tears. The tour blew all of our expectations out of the water in every regard.

What was the best story you heard from all of the Do Lifers you met?
-It's so hard to pick just one, but I immediately think of a man from Minneapolis who brought his daughter to the 5K. Her name was Grace and she had Down Syndrome. She was just an infant but had already had numerous surgeries to repair her heart. Her father, who was overweight, had decided to start running after realizing that he was taking his healthy heart for granted. It was an emotional thing to hear of his journey back to health in an effort to be there for his daughter.

How did your body hold up — did you experience any injury or fatigue?
-No injuries, but definitely some fatigue. Every day we felt completely exhausted, but then as soon as the first person showed up, we were overcome with loads of energy. We would be on a high throughout the events, then as soon as the last person left, we crashed. It was definitely a learning experience as far as touring goes—we for sure won't be Ironman training during our next tour.

What were some of the key things you learned from doing something so grassroots and rather adventurous?
-The biggest thing we learned is that, all across the country, people are incredible and extremely welcoming and hospitable. We were on the road for 40 days and only stayed in two hotels. Other than that, people opened their homes to us and, in many cases, made us a nice homemade breakfast before sending us off on the road. We connected with literally thousands of people who were just as excited for this movement as we are; that was very touching and it lets us know that people genuinely care.

Favorite city you visited?
-There's no way to answer this. Each and every city was so special in its own way. We ran on the mall in DC, we stormed Olympic Village in Atlanta, we ran in the 115-degree heat in Arizona, we saw the beautiful mountains of the Pacific Northwest—it was all super cool, but the people were what made it so special. We have a special bond with every person (and dog) that came out; that's what we're going to remember.

What’s next for you and the Do Life Movement?
-We have some super exciting plans for the upcoming year and we'll be sharing that within the week. We're super stoked about it and can't wait to reveal it all.

Be sure to follow AllSport GPS and Ben’s Do Life Movement on Facebook for the latest exciting news and information.