Jan 11
I found this interesting…
According to this short video by Ben Greenfield, about 95% of people train too much and toxify their bodies.
Currently BG’s training schedule includes lifting 3 days a week, short (but intense) mountain bike rides, a 20-30 minute run, 2 tennis matches, and 1 10×30 second sprint treadmill session. When you think about it, that really isn’t a lot for someone who won his last Ironman triathlon. Right now he is only training 6-8 hours a week. Read more
One of my new favorite warm up stretches is the leg swing. I always see the cross country team doing this stretch before a workout so I’ve recently started incorporating them into my pre-run ritual. Along with the other hops, skips, and jumps I do, the leg swing helps to get the blood flowing in my legs.
Here is a great video from New York Road Runners on how to do the forward and side leg swing.
Today starts my rest week and I am so excited! It’s nice to have some shorter runs and plus, this week is so busy I’m not sure how I would have managed anything longer. Back when I use to write my own training plans, I would always include an easy week after 3 hard weeks of training but I never followed it. Now that I’m paying somebody to tell me to go easy, I think I’ll listen.
Why are rest weeks important? Read more
Other than running a whole lot, my coach has me doing general strength exercises. Last week he sent me a list of what those exercises include and I knew all of them except one – the back hyper.
The back hyper is an exercise that works the lower back as well as the mid and upper back. As a runner, a strong lower back is important because running involves repetitive, constant impact as you move forward. When your feet hit the ground one after another, your feet, knees, hips and, ultimately, your back are subject to absorbing impact. If you’re a distance runner, this means your back and back muscles are subject to long time periods of exposure. (Rachel Nall). Read more
When Rich Roll turned 40, he replaced bad eating habits and excessive drinking with a vegan lifestyle and endurance sports. Mishka Shubaly is a former “irreverent young drunk” turned ultra runner. And this story about Steve White, previously homeless and an alcoholic who trained to qualify for Boston, gives me chill bumps. All of these athletes and stories have a common theme – replacing bad habits with good ones, which in turn lead to some pretty amazing things. Read more
Maybe this is stating the obvious, but a recent study was published in the Journal of Pediatrics which found that students with ADHD performed better on tests after having a few minutes of exercise. The study divided 40 students into two different groups. Group 1 walked on the treadmilll for 20 minutes, and Group 2 read a book for the same amount of time. This was followed by a series of tests, and it was found that all students performed better after exercise. (Maybe this is why I’m so smart 
)
If somehow you have missed the CrossFit train, you can read exactly what it is here. I’ve never done a CrossFit class because I enjoy the quiet, alone time pounding the pavement offers me. Whether I’m going easy, hard, in the heat, or in the rain, I seriously just love running. However I came across this articled titled “How I used CrossFit to Become a Better Runner.” Becoming a better runner is like a permanent goal Read more
Sep 25
This morning on the way to work I was listening to a podcast and they were talking about three different types of interval training: the Tabata method, the Little Method, and the Turbulence method. I’m pretty familiar with the tabata method and have done quite a few tabata workouts. When you’re short on time, it’s perfect. I had never heard of the Little method but after learning what it was, I realized that I had been doing my own version of this workout for quite sometime. The Turbulence method includes weights and cardio and is a longer workout than a Tabata or Little session. This awesome infographic from Greatist.com gives an overall view of the three sessions and helps you figure out which one is best for you. I tried to insert the image into the post but it came out super tiny. Just click on the link – it’s very informative:
For the complete description, click here
To sum up the Little method, it’s basically a warm up of 3-5 minutes followed by one minute all out at max effort and then 75 seconds easy effort. These intervals should be repeated 12 times, for a total of 27 minutes. The Turbulence method is a combination of weights and cardio. It includes a 5 minute warm up followed by an 8 rep set of weight lifting and then one minute of cardio (mountain climbers, jump rope, burpees, etc.). This should be repeated through a full body routine for a 45 minute workout. I bet you’d be pretty sore after that one. This sounds like a good Wednesday workout (that’s my do something different day).
I love intervals. They are the only reason I’ve ever been somewhat fast at running. And due to my injury rate, I’ve become the master of intervals on an elliptical and spinning bike. I even broke an elliptical once going a little too fast Opps!
Happy Trails and Happy Running,
Tracie
(Update: I messaged Ben Greenfield for his thoughts on Red #40 and Sucralose (think Splenda). His response: If I see Red #40 or Sucralose in anything I don’t go near it. No exceptions.)
Let me just go ahead and put my opinion out there – I am very anti fake sugar. I have formed this opinion because of my own experience with a myriad of sugar free products – ranging from chocolate, to jelly, to diet sodas. Did you know that even some Thomas English Muffins has fake sugar? Why would one even think bread has fake sugar? Crazy, I know. Well after being an obsessive gum chewer and buyer of all things sugar free, I realized what it did to my body and I strongly believe no type of fake sugar is good for us. Period. But that is my opinion… Read more
Sep 18
In case you missed it, not only has Paul Ryan showed us how to run a stellar marathon, but he has also showed us how to maintain a really low body fat percentage. Apparently in a 2010 interview, he said he was between 6-8% body fat. Want to know who else has a body fat percentage that low?
Olympic 100-meter sprinters, that’s who. Also, world-class boxers, wrestlers, and marathoners, according to this study of elite American athletes. Top collegiate swimmers look pretty fit, right? Well, they average out at a plump 9.5 percent, at least according to another study.
If he is as fit as he says he is, that puts him right there along Tour de France cyclists.
According to Iñigo San Millan, a veteran cycling physiologist who has worked with numerous Tour de France teams, the lowest body fat he’s ever measured on a cyclist was 8.3 percent. That’s at peak fitness, racing shape.
I may drop the seconds off my marathon or half marathon time or say I can do a few more pushups than I really can. So I guess I can relate. However, I think it might be important to know if I’m going to say my body fat is 8% and so is Shalane Flanagan’s, I might want to reevaluate.
Perhaps I should really start to consider P90X 
….
Have a FABULOUS evening everyone!
Happy Trails and Happy Running,
Tracie
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