Operation Healthy Balance

After completing my first half marathon last year I kind of "let myself go".  Meaning I didn't lace up the running shoes for like......freaking 4 months.  Okay that's untrue.  I might have ran twice in the four months. This resulted in me going from feeling elated that I completed a half marathon to holy crap I can't even run 3 km without wanting to throw myself in front of the next car. I've slowly started to run again on the treadmill and thought I would give myself a little motivation.  I added some races to my dailymile profile (haven't officially signed up for them but I want to).  I added a 10K in february, a half-marathon in May, a 5K in June, and then a duathlon (run 2.3 km, bike 20.7 km, run 5km) in August.  Sounds perfect to me! I've never done a duathlon before and I don't even have a proper road bike but I enjoy running (when I'm properly training) and I find biking even more enjoyable than running so it kind of makes sense ...

I just got back from the Heart and Stroke annual conference in Toronto.  It was well run with a prestigious line up of speakers but to tell you the truth, I didn't learn anything new from them.  What I did learn is that I am telling my clients all of the right things in my new position; educating clients with all of the right information using the best practice guidelines and providing support for lifestyle change through follow ups and monitoring. On my train ride to Toronto I was thinking about what I was hoping to learn; what I struggle most with when dealing with clients.  What I desperately wanted help with is improving my approach of getting client "buy in".  I know people need to eat a healthy balanced diet, exercise moderately 5 days a week, quit smoking, drink less alcohol, etc. but how do I get them to "care" and actually take action.  Some friends, family and coworkers take the stance...."it is up to them and if they don't care then that...