A lot of the fitness articles published on Active and other major publications are sometimes mundane and relatively dull. It’s not fun to try to find enjoyable articles only to sift through the boring junk. I’m going to share a quick article you may have missed but includes some interesting race tips.
If you’re looking for ways to try and reduce your triathlon transition times, Active.com Triathlon has a five-step guide that could help give you some new ideas.
In the article, the five following steps are recommended: apply bodyglide, never sit down during the transition, use triathlon-specific cycling shoes, don’t wear socks when cycling and running, and try using speed laces.
Of note is the recommendation to not wear socks, which most of us consider crucial to help keep our feet in the right shape. If you’re willing to use body glide or a similar product in favor of wearing socks, then give it a shot. (If anyone of you have tried it — or still do it — let me know.)
Speed laces could be helpful as well, and I see a growing number of people wearing them on runs. If you’re in search of something even more drastic, take a look at shoes using the Boa Lacing System able to render shoe laces obsolete, the company says.
While on a recent shopping trip to our local Safeway, my wife asked me if I would like to get some yogurt to eat with my lunch. I looked at the 50 different yogurt selections and told her they probably do not have any real yogurt but I would look anyway. As some of you may already know, I like natural food. I looked at the shelves loaded with the usual products that contain artificial flavors and thickening agents and found some Brown Cow yogurt off to the side. I looked at the ingredient list and found it was all natural yogurt!
I bought the only container they had and took it to work. It tastes good.
I also believe that a product that I eat should taste good. I don’t eat things that taste like chalk because they are healthy. I am all about being happy. Eating chalk does not make me happy.
I did a quick check on the Internet and found Brown Cow to be owned by Stony Field Farms. I don’t care who gets the profits form the company. I want a quality, natural product at a price I can afford. Brown Cow does that and they try to environmentally responsible. The lids are foil tops to use less plastic. If you can not finish a 6 ounce container in one sitting, you can send them an e-mail to request a couple free lids. They will also recycle the old containers if you can’t find a place to recycle. Most people won’t go for something like that but at least the offer is there.
Oakland’s inaugural Oaklavia event took place over the weekend, with several major streets in the city closed to those on two wheels. Oaklavia was put together with the help of the City of Oakland, Walk Oakland Bike Oakland, East Bay Bicycle Coalition, Oakland YMCA, Cycles of Change, Oaklandish, and other great sponsors.
Here’s what Karen Hester, Oaklavia coordinator, said to the Oakland Local.
“I think we accomplished our goals – we experienced the freedom and profound joy that come from being in the heart of an urban city and seeing it anew, moving through it at a speed where we can take in the sky, the architecture, the people smiling at every corner,” Hester told Oakland Local. “We could be like the children around us, relaxed and present in the beauty of the moment, with the fear of cars the furthest thing from our minds.”
Getting active and deciding to sign up for a local race can be much more intimidating than it needs to be. I find people are surprised when I tell them I signed up for a half marathon, got out the door to start training, and the rest is history.
My start in distance running likely won’t be as effective for most people: Ted is an avid runner, swimmer and triathlete, and a few of my friends are extremely dedicated runners and cyclists. My mom has finished half marathons, and I also have a couple of other family members that run.
It wasn’t a total shock when everyone heard I wanted to run – I was seen as just another member of the family.
For those of you trying to help a friend or family member get more active, there are a few great online resources. Active.com, Runner’s World, and other well established running sites often provide great guides for runners of all levels. Jen Murphy, a writer for The Wall Street Journal Online, provides a great guide for women looking to get started. Murphy talks about mental challenges, lists first-time running stories from other ladies, and offers a basic training plan:
If you’re starting off at square one–you’ve never run or you’ve been inactive for quite some time–give yourself eight to 12 weeks to build a base. Begin by going on a brisk walk so your body gets used to physical activity. Then progress to a walk/run. Try walking three minutes and running 30 seconds to one minute for a total of 25 minutes. Eventually shift to a run/walk with three minutes running and 30 seconds to one minute of walking. Gradually run more and walk less until you’re running a full 30 minutes.
I’ve seen some interesting training guides since I started running, but this should be effective while also preventing injury. If in doubt, this could be worthwhile advice to remember: Starting slow will help you stick to your training plan.
You should also encourage any new runners to start slowly and work towards goals… it will help keep motivation and morale high, and help prevent injuries.
I am not the most scientific guy around. I only care about how edible it is and how well it works. I ate a cashew coconut chocolate chip Hammer Bar yesterday before a 2 hour bike ride. The bar tasted good, I did not feel sick, and had enough energy for the whole ride. I did not go hard. It was just a cruise around Alameda, but it was still good.
The Hammer Bar passed the first test before I took a bite. It is organic. I am not a vegan or health food zealot, but I have been switching to organic foods because of quality and taste. The company managed to come up with good quality and taste. The bar is loaded with calories from good sources. When I go out on my Saturday workouts, I burn 2,000 to 3,000 calories. I need all of the good calories I can get to help replace that.
The Hammer Bar gets a strong buy from me. That is saying a lot since I am so fond of GU and Clif. We are not professionals at this site. We are just typical athletes who happen to run a website. We managed to get a lot of products from Hammer. The bar is so good, I am looking forward to trying the electrolyte and recovery drinks.
The sport of professional cycling continues to battle organized doping and the use of performance enhancing drugs in the pro peloton – an uphill battle that the anti-doping agencies believe they’re winning.
I know it’s extremely confusing and difficult to figure out all of these medical terms related to the drugs and methods behind cheating – and why these practices are banned.
Before I became a cyclist that wakes up every morning at ungodly hours to watch the Tour de France, I honestly didn’t care about the drugs these guys pumped into their bodies. As my fascination with cycling continued to grow, I began to study the secretive, yet effective art of doping.
To help avoid going through the trouble of trying to explain it, and risk making a mistake, I’ll provide several online resources that are worth reading. This Wall Street Journal blog goes into detail related to blood doping/transfusions, EPO, steroids, HGH use, and so-called “genetic doping.”
After the jump, I also provide links to a couple of different articles related to cheating… Read more… »
Welcome to all of the new people from around the East Bay who have met us on the trails lately and visited the site. We met up with the MPstriders and Lake Merrit joggers and striders.
By popular demand, I have added a contact us block in the header. If you want to contact us, you may either click on the link above or reply to a post.
I saw something on the Active.com Facebook account related to an upcoming race I thought I should mention here on Alameda Runners. Alameda will host the See Jane Run Half Marathon & 5K in Alameda next month, and it’s a great course that is flat and fast. I’m working on an interview with the event organizers, so you can expect that sometime in the next few days.
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