Spin Class

I just got back from the spin class from you know where!!

The trainer for my normal spin class stopped teaching the class due to a new job, I really enjoyed her classes and thought they were good. The trainers name was Jenn, she could best be described as sweet Jenn, she smiled and cracked the odd joke during classes.

Now little did Jenn know she was setting me up for failure, I arrived at this new spin class and jumped on the bike. Before I could even catch the trainers name sweat was pouring off my brow puddling below me, this trainer was intense, about half way though my body was crying for me to stop. I made it through the class and I loved it, there's something about pushing your body to the limit. I'll be sore tomorrow.

After spin class I tried a new exercise I saw on Blonde Ponytails blog, check out her video below, it's a good one:

Half Marathon Training

I've been thinking about doing a half marathon this spring so I was cruising the web looking for a good training plan and came across this Marathon Train Schedule at Sports Fitness Advisor

 Marathon Training Schedule

Below is the complete beginner marathon training schedule.
It's based on a 5-day week with 2 days rest. The long run is scheduled for Saturday with recovery on Sunday and rest on Monday. Your own plan might vary from which is fine. Just try to have a rest day before the long run and recovery after it.



Asking what are Fartlek Sessions? Check out here.

Notice how the distances and times for individual sessions gradually increase?

Notice also how it doesn't increase continually from session to session - there are easier weeks interspersed through out the whole marathon training schedule.

And notice how the final weeks and days of the marathon training schedule tapers off towards the big event?

You can adjust these peaks and troughs in intensity. For the most part, especially in a beginner program like this, there is no exacting scientific formula. Instead listen to your body...





 

Running Speed Drills

Almost any sport can benefit from a combination of speed and endurance. Most athletes spend the bulk of their training time focused on endurance, but speed training is a great way to kick your performance up a notch.

Sprint and speed training drills should be used only after a general level of fitness has been achieved. Your current fitness level should allow you to run steadily for 20-30 minutes at a time and you should have a 3 month base of consistent athletic activity prior to adding speed drills.


Speed drills, like this one, can be part of an interval training regimen, and should be performed no more than twice a week with at least two recovery days between workouts.

Sample Speed Training Drill

Start with a Thorough Warm Up
Jog 10 minutes at an easy slow pace followed by some simple range of motion stretches for your shoulders, hips, ankles, neck, trunk and head. Move slowly and breathe deeply.




Maintain Proper Form
Good form means maintaining proper posture while focusing on how you move not just how fast you move. To ensure proper form, you should not be fatigued when you start drills. Form is the first thing to suffer when you are tired. Drills should be done wearing trainers and not spikes.

Avoid bending forward at the waist
Push from the balls of your feet (not the toes)
Focused your vision to the end of the course
Keep smooth forward/backward arm swimgs (not across the body)
Hands pump from shoulder height to hips (men) and from chest height to hips (women)
Elbows at 90 degrees at all times
Maintain relaxed arms, shoulders, and hands
Avoid head bobbing or twisting
Keep momentum forward and not side to side.



20 Meter Drills:
Perform the following drills 2-3 times each session.

High-step walking: (lifting knees up to hip level)
High-step jogging: (lifting knees up to hip level)
Skipping
Crossovers: (Jog sideways while crossing right leg over left leg, then left over right leg)
Heel kicks: (while jogging kick heels to buttocks with each step)
Ladder drills: one foot contact per square
Plyometrics: single leg hopping, bounding, bunny hops, tuck jumps, jumping obstacles.

30 Meter Drills:
Perform the following drills 2-3 times each session.

Double leg hops (jump forward over cones or another marker)
Zig Zag hops (jump forward in a zig zag pattern)
One Leg lateral bounding (jump sideways one leg, then the other)

Speed Drills:
5 reps / 10 meters /100 percent effort (full out from a 4 point start) walk back. Take a 5 minute rest break between each set.
5 reps / 20 meters /100 percent effort (full out from a 3 point start).
5 reps / 40 meters /100 percent effort (full out from a 3 point start).
2-3 reps of flying 30 meter sprints at 100 percent for acceleration (built up over 20 meters and at max for 30 meters).

Cool Down
Jog for 10 minutes at a slow, steady pace and finish with gentle whole body stretching.

P90X and Insanity Workout in Vibram Five Fingers

The Following is not completly the views of Losetheshoes.net
Written by: Simon Kay


I have been doing my P90X workouts in bare feet for as long as I can remember. The only reason I don’t do my Insanity workouts barefoot is because I was afraid of slipping on the ugly grey foam tiles we have on the floor. That is, until now. As you have probably noticed I am an avid reader of Fitbomb and his experience with the P90X program, the Insanity mix and his transition into Crossfit are similar to my own not by chance.

 I have always said that if you want to see the results other people have, a good place to start is by doing what they are doing. I am not trying to change myself into a small American-Asian man but I am interested in the fact that a lot of the mental arithmetic that you go through when subscribing to a “system” is similar inside his head and mine. So our paths have taken similar routes.


He has long been an enthusiast of the Vibram Five Fingers KSO (among others) and the notion that barefoot running is the wave of the future. Yes, I know, roll your eyes now and then go and try it. For years I have professed that I am “not built” for running and a large part of that was because I got terrible calf cramps and shin splints from running. I have now discovered it was not my fault, I wasn’t running right. Ever since I have been forefoot running (both barefoot and in shoes) I have been relatively injury free. Now I don’t run a lot, in fact I rarely run at all however I find that everything that I do without shoes is better. What better way then to feed my desire for shoelessness than by getting a pair of the VFF KSO for myself.

This past weekend we went to Penetang and on the way passed by Soujourn in Barrie. For under $100 I walked out with a pair of KSO’s and, little did I know at the time, the stigma of having black gorilla feet. I wore them most of the day, went outside in them, walked around in them, even ran around the parking lot in them. The moment you put them on, you realize that this was a great idea. You can feel the floor beneath your feet (something of which I am a huge fan) however it’s like you have super tough bulletproof feet that can’t be hurt.


If you are a fan of not wearing shoes, and I have noticed that you either are or are not, it’s not really a grey area for people I have spoken to, then these are the things you have been looking for. Forget the Nike Free, like most things Nike it is shit. It’s not a barefoot shoe, it’s sure as hell not a VFF competitor, it is the usual corporate response to the latest shift in the market from a company that pushes it’s image harder than it’s R and D. It’s a cop out.

 If you really want some comfy shoes for the office that is something else but if you are looking to lose the shoes for running or for your sport of choice for gods sake get off the Nike teat already. It is fair to say that the Crossfit rage now is pushing the sales of the KSO. Everywhere you go and talk about them people either assume you are or are becoming a Crossfitter. That is not a bad thing, there are worse things  than following a trend that makes sense.


I have so far worn them for over 20 hours. I have done P90X in them, done an Insanity workout in them and did Chelsea in them today. I am currently wearing them at work and I have to say they are the most comfortable things I have ever put my feet into. I can tell that they change my posture when I walk. I can tell that my calves and arches are getting more work than they are used to but I can also feel that my legs just don’t feel as fatigued as they usually do. I am not walking with that weird “tipping” feeling like my shoes are trying to throw me out. Overall I just feel better. And what’s more, I am down to a few seconds for putting them on… Foot powder helps.

Exercise Your Demons: 5 Workouts To Curb Your Anger

 

Whether it's work, the holidays, or simply navigating through modern life, life can get stressful. Stress is linked to a number of health problems, many of them fatal, and every doctor you see will tell you to try to avoid stress for your health. Good luck. The upside of stress is that you can channel it into great, heart-pumping work outs - something else the doctor ordered. Here are five great workouts that can turn melt your stress into body-building sweat.

• Running. They say not to run away from your problems, but this is one exception. Hop on that treadmill and see how far you can go before you stop stressing over your issues and start focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. If you're not a fan of the treadmill, take it outside to the open road, and let the combination of extreme cardio and nature soothe your troubled soul. The "runners high" is no joke, hyou'll truly feel stress free and blissful after a particularly long jaunt. If you have back or knee problems, you can get nearly the same benefits from a low-impact elliptical machine.
• Kicking, punching and jumping. There are a number of exercises that employ high-impact aerobics, from using a simple punching bag to getting invovled with a kickboxing or Krav Maga class. Channel all your stress and anger into punching harder, jumping higher, and kicking with force, and guaranteed you'll leave more relaxed, calm, and tired. You could always go low-tech and scream into a pillow, but employing high-imact exercises will leave you with a body that everyone whose stressing you out will envy.
• Lifting weights. Join a gym and give those goofy looking weight machines a try. The trick is to find the perfect weight that after 10-12 reps you can't do another one. Choose five or six machines that focus on different areas - arms, legs, back, and abs - and cycle through the machines two or three times. An hour later you'll wobble back out of the gym feeling noodley and less stressed. Combine this with some quick cardio - a five minute run before the circuit - and you'll forget your stress in the amazement of the number of calories you burned.
• Yoga. This particularly popular form of exercise is all about deep breathing and calm thoughts, and no matter what the instructor says if you've had a hellish week it might be difficult to focus on being zen while sitting on that yoga mat. If you find your mind racing, try to find a yoga class, DVD, or other instruction that focuses on strength and balancing moves. You will find that trying to achieve the perfectly balanced Tree or Eagle pose will clear your mind and make you sweat. You might want to give these exercises a try after getting the majority of your aggression out with cardio or aerobics training, but there is a reason yoga is so popular - the claim to calm works.
• Swimmimg. If human beings were meant to swim, we would all be born with gills. This makes swimming an amazing form of cardio, strength training, and coordination. Swim a few laps and just try to tell me that you didn't immediately have to start focusing on breathing at the right times and not drowning. Even better, swimming combines cardio and strenght to get you truly ripped. On top of that, the feeling of weightlessness you'll experience in the pool will add extra calm to your stress-reducing exercises.

No matter what the source of your stress is, you can alleviate it through high-intensity work outs. Even if you don't feel up to running for miles and miles or joining a high-impact class, simply learning a new workout routine or joining a new class can help calm your mind. Learning something new will engage new parts of your brain and help you forget whatever it is that is stressing you out.

Byline: Guest post Written by Jillian Gnorce also known for her work on educational websites like sonogram tech and Radiology Technician