Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,
Run, Forrest, Run! That's all I've been doing for the past few months. Running and yoga have been my exercise modes to train for this half marathon. One day while icing my knees after a run, I realized that I should probably cross train so I don't wear out my body one step at a time. Since I can't imagine running for 5 hours (the minimum I would be running for a full marathon), and I have a feeling that my body won't be able to take the pounding of running for long, I thought about what other activities I could do. Why not a triathlon?
I've always written off triathlons saying, "Well, the biking I could do but, swimming? Pssh...swimming is not for me." With a pool at my gym/work, there was no way I could continue ignoring that aspect of training. The lifeguards at my pool are super friendly and were eager to help me work on my form. I'm now into my 3rd week of swimming and am in love with it! Swimming well really just comes down to form (teaser...get excited for a post all about swimming!)
Running? Check. Swimming? Check. Biking? Pending.
Again, using my undergrads as resources, a girl on the cycling team was able to direct me to a sweet road bike by Specialized. I still know nothing about bikes, what you should look for, what's good, what isn't but, I'm told that the Specialized Dolce for Women is an excellent bike to begin one's love affair with cycling.
My next step is to actually get the bike and ride. There are tons of resources on the web for how to train for a triathlon. My modus operandi for now will just be to get all three activities in during the week with some yoga and strength training too. Eventually, I'll have to work on transitioning from cycling to running but that will come in due time. Until then, perhaps give triathlons a second look...the swimming part isn't really that bad!
In health,
Lauren
Showing posts with label cycling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cycling. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Friday, June 24, 2011
339/365 Are You a Person for Bikes? Make the Pledge!
Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,
Do you agree with the following statement?
"I am for bikes. I'm for long rides and short rides. I'm for commuting to work, weekend rides, racing, riding to school, or just a quick spin around the block. I believe that no matter how I ride, biking makes me happy and is great for my health, my community and the environment we all share. That is why I am pledging my name in support of a better future for bicycling—one that is safe and fun for everyone. By uniting my voice with a million others, I believe that we can make our world a better place to ride."
If so, take the People for Bikes pledge (it only takes 2 minutes)! This organization strives to make bicycling more prevalent in this country. This isn't just for the racers or the mountain bikers; this is for the commuters, recreational cyclists, and your neighbors too! So join me and unite your voice with thousands of others to make this country a place for bikers of all kinds. After I posted this to Facebook, my friend Phil commented that he just got his bike so that he can commute to and from his new job. I couldn't be more proud.
In health,
Lauren
Do you agree with the following statement?
"I am for bikes. I'm for long rides and short rides. I'm for commuting to work, weekend rides, racing, riding to school, or just a quick spin around the block. I believe that no matter how I ride, biking makes me happy and is great for my health, my community and the environment we all share. That is why I am pledging my name in support of a better future for bicycling—one that is safe and fun for everyone. By uniting my voice with a million others, I believe that we can make our world a better place to ride."
If so, take the People for Bikes pledge (it only takes 2 minutes)! This organization strives to make bicycling more prevalent in this country. This isn't just for the racers or the mountain bikers; this is for the commuters, recreational cyclists, and your neighbors too! So join me and unite your voice with thousands of others to make this country a place for bikers of all kinds. After I posted this to Facebook, my friend Phil commented that he just got his bike so that he can commute to and from his new job. I couldn't be more proud.
In health,
Lauren
Friday, March 4, 2011
227/365 Racing Season
Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,
Though there are races every weekend all over the place, spring, summer and fall are the major road racing seasons. You've got your charity 5ks, community 10Ks, sprint triathalons, half, and full marathons.
The only race I've done is the Monument 10K, a tour of Richmond's lovely Monument Ave with over 30,000 people. I did it twice and had a blast. A race that I'd love to do is the Tough Mudder , run 3 miles of hell; don't worry, there's beer at the end! If you do well, you could don the champion Viking helmet. My next endeavor will be the sprint triathalon which means that I should probably work on my cycling and swimming. Oh boy...anyway, find races near you with Runner's World's handy dandy tool.
In health,
Lauren
Though there are races every weekend all over the place, spring, summer and fall are the major road racing seasons. You've got your charity 5ks, community 10Ks, sprint triathalons, half, and full marathons.
The only race I've done is the Monument 10K, a tour of Richmond's lovely Monument Ave with over 30,000 people. I did it twice and had a blast. A race that I'd love to do is the Tough Mudder , run 3 miles of hell; don't worry, there's beer at the end! If you do well, you could don the champion Viking helmet. My next endeavor will be the sprint triathalon which means that I should probably work on my cycling and swimming. Oh boy...anyway, find races near you with Runner's World's handy dandy tool.
In health,
Lauren
Monday, December 20, 2010
153/365 Spin Cycle
Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,
There are many cycling classes out there. Not all however can truly be called Spinning since it is a specific program. Still, cycling classes are a wonderfully challenging way to cross train, lose weight, strengthening your cardiovascular system, and building muscle endurance.
Fast fact: Spinning is a 40-minute indoor cycling program led by a Spinning instructor on Spinner bikes manufactured by Star Trac. For more on Spinning, click here.
Cycling classes in general start with the instructor setting you up on the bike. You begin by standing next to the bike seat; adjust it so that the seat hits the top of your iliac crest, hip bone. Next, you want to sit on the seat. With your feet positioned at 9:00 and 3:00, your feet should be flat and your knees should fall right on top of your ankles. If this is not the case, you may have to adjust your seat forwards or backwards. At full extension of your leg, your knee should still be slightly bent. After this, your instructor should warm you up then take you for a heart pumping ride doing intervals and climbing hills.
If you have never participated in a cycling class, I highly recommend it. Yes, your butt will hurt for a couple days, maybe longer. As long as you stick with it, your body will get used to sitting on a bike seat; don't let the pain deter you! The benefits of cycling include muscle endurance in your legs, cardiovascular endurance, and core strengthening. When you cycle, you shouldn't be holding your torso up using your arms. Your arms should be relaxed while your abdominals and lower back keep you at about a 45 degree angle. If you use your arms to support you, you may develop a lower back injury from strain. Also, keep those tips about your gait in mind: toes, knees, and hips forward! Your body moves best when it stays in one plane, don't go diverting to the sides.
Happy Spinning!
In health,
Lauren
There are many cycling classes out there. Not all however can truly be called Spinning since it is a specific program. Still, cycling classes are a wonderfully challenging way to cross train, lose weight, strengthening your cardiovascular system, and building muscle endurance.
Fast fact: Spinning is a 40-minute indoor cycling program led by a Spinning instructor on Spinner bikes manufactured by Star Trac. For more on Spinning, click here.
Cycling classes in general start with the instructor setting you up on the bike. You begin by standing next to the bike seat; adjust it so that the seat hits the top of your iliac crest, hip bone. Next, you want to sit on the seat. With your feet positioned at 9:00 and 3:00, your feet should be flat and your knees should fall right on top of your ankles. If this is not the case, you may have to adjust your seat forwards or backwards. At full extension of your leg, your knee should still be slightly bent. After this, your instructor should warm you up then take you for a heart pumping ride doing intervals and climbing hills.
If you have never participated in a cycling class, I highly recommend it. Yes, your butt will hurt for a couple days, maybe longer. As long as you stick with it, your body will get used to sitting on a bike seat; don't let the pain deter you! The benefits of cycling include muscle endurance in your legs, cardiovascular endurance, and core strengthening. When you cycle, you shouldn't be holding your torso up using your arms. Your arms should be relaxed while your abdominals and lower back keep you at about a 45 degree angle. If you use your arms to support you, you may develop a lower back injury from strain. Also, keep those tips about your gait in mind: toes, knees, and hips forward! Your body moves best when it stays in one plane, don't go diverting to the sides.
Happy Spinning!
In health,
Lauren
Saturday, November 20, 2010
123/365 Hop on Board the Cross-Train
Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,
Cross-training is important for any athlete.
If you're a runner and you think, well all I ever do is run, you still should cross train to give those running muscles a rest and work something else. Same goes for you cyclists and swimmers. Your joints can only take so much of the same stress every day or every other day.
You'll also notice that your heart and breathing work differently when you do different exercises. With running and swimming, you can breathe whenever you feel like it. When you swim, you have to train yourself to take breaths or else you'll. Your heart and all those muscles that help you breathe need exercise too. It's important to work out at different intensities and environments for progressive improvement.
Cross-training prevents boredom. I have many friends who hate running or are tired of it. Fine, don't run today. Hop on a cardio machine, an erg, a stair climber, a Versa climber, etc., or hop in the pool. Go to Zumba or a martial arts class instead then go running the next time. Also, you'll never know when you'll actually have to run, swim, or bike away from something threatening you. It would be advisable to be able to do all three well if necessary.
In health,
Lauren
Cross-training is important for any athlete.
If you're a runner and you think, well all I ever do is run, you still should cross train to give those running muscles a rest and work something else. Same goes for you cyclists and swimmers. Your joints can only take so much of the same stress every day or every other day.
You'll also notice that your heart and breathing work differently when you do different exercises. With running and swimming, you can breathe whenever you feel like it. When you swim, you have to train yourself to take breaths or else you'll. Your heart and all those muscles that help you breathe need exercise too. It's important to work out at different intensities and environments for progressive improvement.
Cross-training prevents boredom. I have many friends who hate running or are tired of it. Fine, don't run today. Hop on a cardio machine, an erg, a stair climber, a Versa climber, etc., or hop in the pool. Go to Zumba or a martial arts class instead then go running the next time. Also, you'll never know when you'll actually have to run, swim, or bike away from something threatening you. It would be advisable to be able to do all three well if necessary.
In health,
Lauren
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