Elevanth Hour for Dell Ramos the

Comeback Kid

5 Lessons on the way you should treat people Combating the Winter Blues

Table of Contents

Letter to the Editor

Ramos the Comeback Kid

7 Steps To Stay Motivated When You Aren’t Seeing Results

5 Lessons about the way you should treat people

Combatting the Winter Blues

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Dear reader, Every single day is a choice between good and evil, right and wrong… choices at their root are binary. At some point the decision comes to act or stand still. And trust me the decision not to decide is also a decision. The decision not to act is caused by fear. The fear of what could come with pursuing that something you want or the fear of failure. If you are not doing what makes you happy, than why does one do it? You can fail at what you don’t want so you might as well take a chance doing what you love. Stop worrying so much. The unknown is something that you cannot control. Things that you can’t control are a waste of time and energy that could have been spent constructively building, moving forward in life with enthu-siastic hearts and open minds to achieve greater resolve. Raise the bar higher. It is a noisy world and for some reason people want to see you fail.

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson-

Here at Motivational Monthly we believe failure just means that something better was supposed to come along. Here you don’t lose you learn. Be yourself. Do not become a copy; everyone was born with original unique traits, dreams that only belong to you. In all efforts we hope to arouse those dreams. Helping you to expand you horizon and pursue life’s endeav-ors that fulfill mind, body and soul.

Sincerely,Casey HedashEditor- Motivational Monthly-

“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.”Eleanor Roosevelt

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Ramos the Comeback Kid After taking a year to recover from a season ending shoulder injury, Evan Ramos is back wres-tling for the Raiders. He is off to a hot start — re-cording a pin and technical fall in the first two dual meets of the season. Ramos became a dominant force on the mat going 21-6 wrestling for the Raiders at 184 pounds as a freshman, prior to getting hurt. He originally hurt his shoulder during his junior year of high school, though the labrum tear was not substan-tial enough to require surgery. It came to a point during his freshman season where the shoulder kept giving out.

“I tried to push through it but it kept hurting me throughout matches. It ended up being a torn labrum plus some bone chipping. Overall the surgery and recovery process went well and I’m excited to be back.” Ramos said.

Recovery time for a torn labrum is a six to eight months. Ramos chose to take medical redshirt sitting out the 2015 season so he had time to strengthen and rehabilitate his shoulder before returning back to action. “Having to sit out a year was rough men-tally but I think it was the best decision for the recovery of my shoulder. I was happy last season seeing my teammates and brother achieve success. At the same time it was tough because I think it is a very real thing for me to become an All-Amer-ican. Last season was the first time in my athletic career that I have had to sit out a season.” Ethan Ramos, the older twin by a few min-utes, took a redshirt during his freshman year and stressed to his brother the importance of using it to make gains. Raiders wrestling coach Seth Bloomquist is confident that Ramos can make a splash on

the national scene. “The goal of any coach is to keep their athletes injury free and healthy. If we can keep him healthy as the season progresses I think that Evan is capable of winning a national title.” Bloomquist said. “This season I want to get to that next level of being a national champ, which is really the end goal,” Ramos said. Ramos knows as he moves forward through the season he must keep his strength up and work on his conditioning because the regional and national tourna-ment are all hard fought, must win matches.

By:Casey Hedash

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7 Steps To Stay Motivated When You Aren’t Seeing Results

1. Stop what you’re doingIf you insist on getting back to work when you are disappointed and unmotivated, you’re likely to make the same mistakes that prevented your success. Instead, take a day or even a week off to recharge and clear your mind. In my case, I drove to the coast and went for a long walk along the beach. The energy of the crashing waves took my mind away from what had happened.

2. Keep failure in perspectiveYour efforts haven’t panned out. But is your goal a lost case? Contemplate whether the failure lies in the way you’re attempting to achieve your goal rather than in the goal itself. I realized I had made costly mistakes marketing my course, but this didn’t mean that I couldn’t succeed with this or future online training pro-grams, or that my business was doomed.“A failure is not a loss. It’s a gain. You learn. You change. You grow.” – Michael Barata

3. Take inventory of what you have accomplishedIt’s easy to forget how far you have come. Take a moment to search through old emails, documents or jour-nals. Did you know as much as you know now? Most likely, you’ll realize that you have grown personally and professionally over time. You have probably acquired new skills and gained knowledge that position you for future success. It’s time to give yourself a pat on the back! I searched for the first course I produced, and laughed at how rudimentary it was compared to my new programs. I had grown. I had improved. As a result, I felt my confidence soar.

4. Ask for feedbackBefore you take further action, reach out to those who support you, especially your mentors. Ask them for candid feedback on what they think you could do better, and listen without judging or becoming offended. External feedback coupled with your own insights will help you pinpoint what isn’t working and will inspire you to find new ways to achieve what you desire. I was lucky to count on the members of my mastermind, who offered their ideas on what I could do better to launch my online program.

5. Create a detailed plan to change what isn’t work-ingWhen you lack results, you might feel that you have lost control of your destiny, which is a sure motivation killer. A detailed plan of action is essential to regain a feeling of control—and your motivation. I reworked my entire marketing plan, and devised more engaging ways to reach my audience. The clearer my plan became, the more empowered I felt to succeed.

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List every action that isn’t yielding results, and ask yourself whether you can completely elimi-nate the task or change the way you are approaching it. For example, if you are in business on your own and social media isn’t working to get new clients, either switch your efforts to another lead generation tool or change your social media

6. Execute a quick-action itemNothing feels better than accomplishing something that will help you achieve your goal. Find a quick task that is likely to yield positive results. Your sense of accomplishment will fuel your en-thusiasm for what you do.My new marketing plan included contacting a list of possible joint-venture partners. I reached out to most people on my list in a day, and the next day I was rewarded with my first few positive an-swers. I felt a renewed sense of hope in my own ability to succeed. What could you do today to build the positive momentum you need to stay motivated? Take immediate action.

“The path to success is to take massive determined action.” – Anthony Robbins

7. Celebrate small successesNo matter what little progress you make, congratulate yourself for what you have accomplished. You will feel empowered to take the next step in your plan, and if you continue celebrating your wins, you’ll cre-ate a self-perpetuating cycle of winning actions. I created an Excel log with my small successes, which I checked daily. As the success log expanded, so did my confidence and motivation.

Remain patient as you work toward your goal, and remember that undesirable results can be-come oppor-tunities to grow and to find new, exciting ways to succeed.

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My God WinkBy: Casey Hedash

After finishing up morning practice in the Huskies wrestling room, all I had left for the rest of the day second was practice later in the day, a hot shower, food, and a couple zzz’s to recharge. Anticipation of a nap added a little more pep to my peddling down the hilly streets of Bloomsburg. My route home was altered that day by a tree hit by lighting obstructing passage along my normal route. Oblivious to the high gear as I cut back up a hill to avoid the hindrance my feet forced my mountain bike upward for the initial four or five revolutions, yet the pressure of the high gear exerted on the chain was too much for the chain snapping it. My right foot jolted from the peddle into the chewing metal teeth of my bikes rusted sprocket. My right calf muscle looked as if I was sawing logs with a chainsaw and caught my leg with the saw. Muttering sweet sen-timents to myself, I sat on the curb to utilize one of my T-shirts as a tourniquet. Unexpectedly, a sweet, soft voice came from over my left shoulder, “Oh honey. Do you need any help? I was at my sink washing dishes, and saw you fall off of your bicycle. When I saw you sit down on the side of the street I figured you must be hurt. Are you?” Turning, shading my eyes from the blinding June sun-light, I squinted to see a tiny pot-bellied, barefoot old lady with naturally graying hair and oval glasses star-ing concerned from her porch. Shirtsleeves rolled up her forearms, her royal blue shirt displaying splotches of white from the flour used for baking earlier that day. Quickly, I responded to her worried inqui-ries, explaining that as I peddled up the hill my chain snapped, my foot slid from the pedal, producing a gash that would need stitches. “Do you need a ride to the hospital?” she asked. Not wanting to inconvenience a complete stranger, I lied, “I texted my roommate Justin, and he is on his way now.” I knew my room-mate was home because he drove his car to practice, so I shot him a text message as the little old lady headed into her home to grab me a glass of water, as well as fresh oatmeal raisin cookies that were baked earlier that morning. Since weight would no longer

be an issue, I indulged myself to several oatmeal raisin cookies. (Who am I kidding I have never been able to refuse myself the luxury of an oatmeal raisin cookie.) Maybe not the smartest decision to accept baked goods from a stranger, but with the day that I was having, I needed something to take my mind off the aggravation of knowing that I would have to go to the emergency room. While waiting for Justin to arrive, she asked about my hometown, parents, siblings and if I went to the university. Having been in Bloom for only one semester after transferring from the military academy, it was a breathe of fresh air to run into such hospitality. Being the genuinely sincere person she is, she offered to allow me to keep my bike in her driveway until I was able to get it to the bike shop for a new chain. Shortly after, Justin arrived in his tan Pathfinder to whisk me to the hospital for a fresh set of sutures. Two hours and thirteen stiches later, I was out of the emergency room dealing with another slap in the face—my two room-mates decided on a different living arrangement, which suited their needs, but left me shit out of luck for a place to stay for the fall semester. 9

A week later, I returned to the stranger’s home armed with a thank you card and a honey bear filled with honey from my fathers’ beehives. Unfortunately she was not home, so I spoke with her son Bob who said she was away on vacation and would return the following week. That weekend I went home to spend time with my brother, Colin, who was home from wrestling camps, and broke the news to my mother that I had no where to live for the fall semester. My mother being the insightful woman she is suggested, “Ask that lady that you met when you snapped your bike chain. She has lived in the area for awhile; maybe she knows a good landlord or something.” Although the notion of my mother knowing best irks me, I knew she was right. That following Wednesday when I stopped down to see if she had received my thank you gift, I planned to ask about a lead on a new housing arrangement. Wednesday morning after practice I stopped in a second time to see if she had gotten my thank you gifts. Fortunately this time she was home, she proceed-ed to thank me for the honey and card inviting me in to sit down and talk. Margaret “Peggy” Koslosky, who I affectionately call Nana K, told me the full story of how she came to Bloomsburg from the even smaller town of Pottsville after marrying Bob Koslosky, an art professor at the University of Bloomsburg for 28 years who lost his fight with lung cancer. Oh could she talk. She told me all about her seven children, explaining that her sons Bobby and Tommy still live at home. After fifteen or twenty minutes, I mustered up the courage to inquire about housing, forcing forth the embarrassing issue of my estranged living situation. “Mam, would you know if there are any good landlords in the area?” I asked.“The only landlord that I know in Bloomsburg is the one we had when we first moved here. But we do have an extra room that we added on when my mother was in hospice. You could stay there if you wanted to,” she replied. “Really… Well how much would you want for rent each month?” I asked. “Nothing, just live like your part of the family, and help out when asked to.” I though, man this lady must be crazy. This woman just invited a burly, bearded, unkempt, man with tattoos into her home—I could have been an ex-convict. I was so taken back by her random act of kindness; someone had to be playing a joke on me. Immediately, once the reality of her offer set, in I accepted, proceeding to call my parents with the news. My mother was astonished by the offer, and expressed her interest in sitting down with

Nana K to discuss the details of the living arrangement. Although my parents wanted to pay some type of rent, it only fell on deaf ears. Nana K, the Irish saint, battled my stubborn parents diligently until she gave into allowing my parents to send her money each month for groceries. It wasn’t having my laundry done, the home cooked meals, or a quiet, uninterrupted place to study that made my experience underneath the Koslosky roof so special. To say the least, our family nucleus was unique—me, 23; Nana, 77; Bobby, 59; and Tommy 52. It was the little things; Tommy waking up every morn-ing at 5:30 a.m., waiting for me to head out the door to practice so he could give me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Love you,” he said while fighting the sleepers still in his eyes. “Love you too, Big Man.” I’d reply. Tommy, who is on the Autism Spectrum, will tell you his full name is Thomas Peter Joseph Anthony Koslosky Big Man. He has two middle names, and Anthony is his confirmation name. Big Man was his nickname growing up. Tommy and I became best friends; I taught him how to look up oldies songs on YouTube, eventually veering off into watching videos of Magnavox Stereo Systems from the 1960s and 1970s, videos of old parades, and re-runs from the 1970s of the Price is Right. Now it drives Nana and Bob crazy because once he gets on the com-puter he shuts the door and doesn’t want to be bothered. Tom has the ability to tell you the month, day, year, and day of the week of anything that happened to him throughout his life. Good luck trying to help if you place the dish in the dishwasher the wrong way; he’d creep up behind you waiting for you to turn, and rearrange the

plate’s position. Tommy takes care of a vast majority of the dishes, laundry, and has a very particular way he likes to do things. As a reward his mother Nana K will reward Tom with a new CD. This practice has led to the creation of his prized CD collection of 792 oldies CD’s. I am one of two who has had the privilege to count them. Bobby, the oldest Koslosky, was the older brother that I never had. Instead of constantly giving advice or handing down orders, I now had an older wiser confidant with whom I could discuss life’s trials and tribulations. More influential at my time in the Koslosky home than either Bobby or Tommy was Nana K herself. Conversations were always deep and lively helping to erase my pessimistic perceptions while opening me up to a whole new realm of thinking—a mantra of thinking and understanding that helped me to begin to see possi-bilities instead of problems, and opportunity instead of obligations. Even now that I’m at a different college, she always tries to make sure I’m taken care of. Last semes-ter when the heat in my apartment broke, a space heater showed up in the mail the next week. There was an oc-casion earlier this fall where I ignored her weekly phone calls three times in a row. The guilt inside me built up so badly that I went to go see her to quell the situation. In my visit back, I saw a tapestry that had always hung in her kitchen. For some reason the Mother Teresa quote embodied on the tapestry replayed in my head the entire journey home:

“We can do no great things, only little things with great love.”

To be frank, coincidences happen to each and every one of us along our life’s journey. Our life’s roadmap inevitably produces detours guiding us to unplanned routes. Author Squire Rushnell has attempted to explain these coincidences he calls God winks, “as signposts of reassurance through-out life, like when grandma gives you a wink.”

Nana K’s seven children pictured above.

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Football wasn’t love at first sight for Cortlin Dell. “I was naturally drawn to basket-ball, but I real-ized that I didn’t have the height, and I’m way to big to be a point guard. It was watching my older brother play that I grew to love football.” At 6 feet and 230 pounds, football was a perfect fit for Dell. Sought after by nu-merous PSAC programs, he eventually set his sights on attaining his degree in exercise science from Shippensburg and playing football at middle linebacker. Playing in 33 games over the past three seasons at middle linebacker Dell recorded 145 tackles, seven sacks and one interception. Before the 2015 spring football game Dell tore his ACL on a routine play during practice. The injury required surgery to fix the ligament. The surgeons performed a graft of his patella tendon to replace the damaged ACL. “Waking up after surgery to a leg that just shrunk was tough. Yet everyday it was about remaining positive and trying to rebuild it.” Taking a medical redshirt to return next season didn’t cross Dell’s mind. “The plan was to graduate and move forward after four and a half years. This was my last go around. Even if it was one play for the last game of the season.”

Overcoming surgery this offseason was a challenge. Dell committed himself to get-ting back on the field for his senior season. His summer internship at a health center with a rehabilitation office next door allowed him to go from work to therapy for his knee. The pursuit of a progressive rehabilitation program after surgery plus the additional help of Shippensburg training staff upon returning to school ensured that he would be back on the field for his senior season.Once back to school Dell continued to rehab, sitting out the first five games of the season waiting to be medically cleared to play. During this period the mental games began.

“Not being able to practice and not being able to play messes with your mind. You just have to continue to remain positive and gain a little bit more confidence each day based on what you can do.”During the recovery process, Dell spent countless hours in the film room preparing for the day he would be back. “Film is king. I know that I will be a step or two behind until I get back into the swing of things. Yet I can do a lot to mentally visualize and prepare for teams down the road with watching film now.”Finally Oct. 10 against Lock Haven Dell made his return to the field making two tackles and a sack. Cornerback Kevin Taylor II notes that it isn’t just the defense that has benefited from the seasoned veteran’s return to the lineup. “Since Cortlin has been back the level of inten-sity has gone up noticeably. From the leadership stand point; he’s a role model an example of how we need to play every play. He expects nothing less than 100% from all of us, because we get it from him.”The following week of homecoming versus West Ches-ter, a must win game for the Red Raiders to make the playoffs. He reassumed his role as starting middle linebacker making nine tackles, a sack and an intercep-

Elevanth Hour for Dell

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tion. For his performance Dell was named the PSAC Eastern Division defensive player of the week. The win over West Chester moved the Raiders to 5-2 and kept them in the running for the PSAC championship, “I’ve still got a lot of stuff to work on. I’m the stranger out there who has to get in the flow of working with the rest of my teammates.” “Cortlin is a leader. Having him back lets everyone fall back into their original roles amongst the line backing core. His will to get back this season is a testament to his heart and the spirit he brings to the defense.” Defensive coordinator Mike Burkett.

Dell has his sights set high for the rest of the Raiders season, “We want to win the Eastern division and gain a spot in the PSAC championship. I know it is a cliché: take it one game at a time but that is what we must do.” Focusing on what you can change is a lesson that Dell will take with him. As the season comes to an end and commencement nears Dell will move forward in pursuit of his masters. Waiting to hear back from nu-merous graduate schools and not knowing where you are going has been stressful. Yet Dell is choosing to focus on what he can change and not take a moment of football for granted. The love he almost lost.

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1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious studentAnd had breezed through the questions until I read the last one:

“What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?”Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the Cleaning woman several times. She was tall,Dark-haired and in her 50’s, but how would I know her name?

I handed in my paper, leaving the last questionBlank. Just before class ended, one student asked if The last question would count toward our quiz grade.

“Absolutely, “ said the professor.. “In your careers,You will meet many people. All are significant.. TheyDeserve your attention and care, even if all you do Is smile and say “hello..”

I’ve never forgotten that lesson.. I also learned herName was Dorothy.

2.- Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain

One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African AmericanWoman was standing on the side of an Alabama highwayTrying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car hadBroken down and she desperately needed a ride.

Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generallyUnheard of in those conflict-filled 1960’s. The manTook her to safety, helped her get assistance andPut her into a taxicab.

She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down hisAddress and thanked him. Seven days went by and aKnock came on the man’s door. To his surprise, aGiant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached. It read:

“Thank you so much for assisting me on the highwayThe other night. The rain drenched not only myClothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dyingHusband’s’ bedside just before he passed away... GodBless you for helping me and unselfishly serving oth-ers.”Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.

3 - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those Who serve. In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less,A 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop andSat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.

“How much is an ice cream sundae?” he asked. “Fifty cents,” replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket andStudied the coins in it.

“Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?” he inquired.By now more people were waiting for a table and theWaitress was growing impatient.. “Thirty-five cents,” she brusquely replied.

The little boy again counted his coins.

“I’ll have the plain ice cream,” he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill onThe table and walked away The boy finished the ice

5 Lessons about: the way you should treat people

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Cream, paid the cashier and left.. When the waitressCame back, she began to cry as she wiped down the Table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish,Were two nickels and five pennies..

You see, he couldn’t have the sundae, because he hadTo have enough left to leave her a tip.

4 - Fourth Important Les-son. - The obstacle in Our Path. In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a Roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see ifAnyone would remove the huge rock. Some of theKing’s’ wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by And simply walked around it.. Many loudly blamed theKing for not keeping the roads clear, but none didAnything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of Vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, thepeasant laid down his burden and tried to move thestone to the side of the road. After much pushingand straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticeda purse lying in the road where the boulder hadbeen. The purse contained many gold coins and a notefrom the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. Thepeasant learned what many of us never understand!

Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improveour condition.

5 - Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts... Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at ahospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her onlychance of recovery appeared to be a bloodtransfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had

miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat theillness. The doctor explained the situation to herlittle brother, and asked the little boy if he wouldbe willing to give his blood to his sister.

I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking adeep breath and saying, “Yes I’ll do it if it will saveher.” As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bednext to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his facegrew pale and his smile faded.

Most importantly.... “Live with no regrets, Treat people the way you want to be treat-ed, Work like you don’t need the money, Love like you’ve never been hurt, and Dance like you do when nobody’s watching.”

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Combating the Winter BluesBy: Mary Schultz

As the seasons change from summer to fall, and from fall to winter, the days become shorter and the evenings become longer. The leaves then begin to fade from luscious green, to a dark brown, orange, or red, and the air becomes thin and chilly. Many peo-ple are able to take the changing of the seasons with a grain a salt; unaffected and simply enjoying the weather as it comes and goes. Some people, however, do not react well to the change of season.Many people fall victim to a sweep of seasonal sadness; some even be-ing diagnosed with a disease known as Seasonal Affective Disorder; or SAD for short. These wintery blues generally start in the early fall and can last up until mid-spring. Generally, seasonal sadness can be characterized by long, drawn out episodes of depres-sion, lack of energy and motivation, and unexpected mood swings that could strike at any time. Seasonal depression is more often seen in women and can carry other less common symptoms such as anxiety, oversleeping or not sleeping at all, lethargy, overeat-ing, social isolation, and significant loss of libido. Seasonal sadness has been linked to possibly being an effect of the seasonal light variation in humans.

When the seasons begin to shift, there is a change in our “biological clocks” or circadian rhythm, due to changes in sunlight patterns. This causes our bodies to be out of beat with our regular schedules.A sleep-related hormone called melatonin, which is se-creted by the pineal gland in the brain, has been linked to seasonal sadness as well. This hormone, which has been linked to symptoms of depression, is produced at high-er levels in the dark, so when the days are shorter and

darker the production of this hormone increases. It is encouraged that if you are tempted to brush your wintery blues off as just a “seasonal funk”, that you reconsider and take the necessary steps to keep your mood and motiva-tion steady throughout the year.Phototherapy or bright light therapy

has been proven to combat many of the symptoms of seasonal sadness. Even though there haven’t been any re-search findings that prove light therapy yields an antide-pressant effect, light therapy has been shown to work in up to 85 percent of patients. The light therapy tool most often used today is a large square of white fluorescent lights on a metal reflector with a plastic screen.If a person is experiences mild symptoms of seasonal sad-ness, spending time outdoors during the day or arranging

Research has shown that exposure to light, even artificial light, suppresses the brain’s secretion of melatonin.

home and workplace lighting fixtures and natural window light may be helpful. Re-search has found that spending an hour in the winter sunlight is just as effective as spending two and a half hours in the presence of the artificial light.An antidepressant drug may prove ef-fective in reducing or eliminating SAD symptoms if phototherapy does not work, but there may be unwanted side effects to consider. It is important that if you or anyone you know faces any of the symp-toms of seasonal sadness, that you talk to a doctor or trained professional to find out what treatment may be right for you.

Your winter woes answeredBaby, it’s cold outside! But for those of us training, sans gym membership, or just yearning for some fresh air, we can’t let the chilly weather keep us from an outdoor workout. If you find your morning runs too cold, have achy joints, or just want to make it through a run without wiping out, we hear you! That’s why we asked Dr. Scott Weiss, clinical director and owner of Bodhizone Physical Therapy, your burning cold-weather workout questions. Read on below to see how you can have a successful workout no matter what the weather.

The cold weather makes my joints hurt! What stretches can I do before a workout to stop constantly feeling sore?

If cold weather is making you sore, the worst thing to do is go and stretch since you’re more likely to pull a muscle or tear some cartilage. In the cold weather, the key is total body warmth. Spend a little more time warming up, by adding 5 to 10 minutes to your normal warm-up routine. Stretching while your joints are warm will then enhance flexibility and range of motion while also reducing your chance of injury.

Sometimes when I go for a run in the Winter, my toes lose feeling. Why is this happening and how can I fix it?

Most of the time numb toes are a minor circulatory or foot-wear issue. Try making a fist with your toes, or do some calf raises to get the blood pumping. Once you get home, be sure to elevate your feet to relieve the pressure. If tingling persists, it could be something more serious (like frostbite), and you should contact a physician.

I’m terrified of black ice. What are some tips to avoid it?

Make sure you stay focused on the heel contact portion of the running cycle in icy conditions. Oftentimes, we don’t think about how we are land-ing our feet, and if even slightly unbalanced while landing on ice, you risk falling. If you live in an especially icy area, consider trail shoes, which have a better grip.

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