Oh No You Didn’t!: Common Running Mistakes
Running is hard enough, but add the following combinations into the mix and prepare for the worst to take a toll on your mind, body and goals.
Everybody makes mistakes, the best way to approach your running mishaps is to determine what you are doing and know how to fix it.
Here are some of the most common running mistakes..
Sad Shoe Story: Wearing old running shoes, or even the wrong type of running shoes can lead to injuries galore. Go to a specialty running store to evaluate your foot type and running styles. They can determine whether you’re an overpronator, underpronator or neutral runner, this will lead to the perfect shoe recommendations. Always, always make sure to replace running shoes every 300 to 350 miles.
Terrible Too’s: Too much. Too Fast. Too soon. More is not better when it comes to running, especially if you haven’t been training. Pushing yourself to your limits is great in most cases, but in running it will only lead to injury. Be conservative and know what you can and cannot handle. Don’t be afraid to walk if you are just beginning to get into the routine. Pay attention to every ache and pain, listen to your body, if your arch feels like it might snap in two then stop! Give yourself a rest day every now and then, at least once a week!
Oh No Overstride: Overstriding, otherwise known as landing with your heel first can be bad news for your pace. This is a great way to waste valuable energy. Try not to lunge forward with your feet and focus on landing mid-sole with your foot directly underneath your body.
Downhill Don’ts: My favorite part. Downhill. With downhill comes the urge to lean forward, overstride and let the hill take control. Guess what? That’s a big no, no! Lean slightly forward and take quick, short strides. Do not do the opposite and lean back to brake yourself.
Drink Up: Don’t underestimate how much water you lose while running. Worried you are going to get a side stitch if you drink to much water? Well don’t. Dehydration is terrible for your performance and overall well-being. Pay close attention to how much you drink before, during and after running. An hour before running, try to drink 16 -24 oz. of water. Take in 6 -8 oz. every 20 minutes while running. Don’t forget to rehydrate afterwards!
Urban Girl Fitness Quote of the Day:
Running is one of the best solutions to clear the mind. ~Sasha Azevedo
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Stars Sound Off: Celebrity Playlists
Between obnoxious paparazzi, lunch dates at the Ivy, stylist sessions and rigorous schedules, there’s no doubt celebrities have jam packed schedules. Just because their schedules are jam packed doesn’t mean their iPods aren’t.
So what is Rihanna running to on the treadmill? What songs get Jennifer Garner going on the stationary bike? What pumps Reese up while posing on her yoga mat?
Check out these favorite workout playlists of the stars:
Rockin’ with Rihanna
Party Like A Rock Star -Shop Boyz
Beautiful Girls (Suicidal) -Sean Kingston
Do It -TI
Wall to Wall -Chris Brown (not so sure if this is her favorite anymore!)
Glamorous -Fergie
Jammin’ with Jennifer Garner
The Way You Move -Outkast
This Love -Maroon 5
What You Waiting For? -Gwen Stefani
Rock Your Body -Justin Timberlake
Get The Party Started -Pink
Workin’ Out with Reese Witherspoon
Soak Up The Sun -Sheryl Crow
Buttons -The Pussycat Dolls
Walk On -U2
Sweet Home Alabama -BAMA
Stop This Train -John Mayer
Urban Girl Fitness Quote of the Day:
Life is one grand, sweet song, so start the music. ~Ronald Reagan
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Welcome to Madonna’s Gun Show
The material girl recently gave us all tickets to her gun show. It’s obvious she has been hard at work to eliminate every ounce of body fat from her body. The result?
Super. Scary. Skinny. Stringy arms!
The 50-year-old’s usually rocking body is attributed to fitness sessions with personal trainer Tracy Anderson, which involve grueling two-hour workouts six days a week while drinking coconut water to keep energy levels high.
In addition to her workouts, Madge swears by a clean-living vegan lifestyle and a miracle machine known as the power plate. the vibrating platform offers the same benefits of an hour-long sweaty gym workout in just 15 minutes with the machine burning the calories off.
Has the queen of pop gone to far? How skinny is too skinny?
Experts agree muscles need time to heal. Allow your body that extra day to heal and you will probably find yourself making more gains than you ever had before.
Here are signs you are overworking out..
a. You are sore before you even begin.
b. A specific muscle (bicep, for example) is constantly sore and never seems to heal.
c. You’re working out the same muscle within 72 hours after the first workout.
Give it a rest or you’ll soon be striking a pose with the material girl!
Urban Girl Fitness Quote of the Day:
People say that losing weight is no walk in the park. When I hear that I think, yeah, that’s the problem. ~Chris Adams
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Don’t Be Such Dumbbell!
It’s heavy.
It’s cheap.
It’s simple.
Hello toned body.
What could it possibly be?
It’s a dumbbell, you dumbbell!
For cardio addicts who wonder why they just can’t get those toned legs they’ve worked so hard to get, the answer is simple. Add some strength training to an everyday workout for that rocking body we all aspire to have.
Lunge Love: If you’re new to lunges, just stepping out and returning to your starting stance can be challenging enough. Don’t sweat it. Simply hold dumbbells to push yourself to the next level. Holding weights, five to ten pounds, will make both your booty and arms work more.
Keen on Biceps: Stand straight and slightly loose with a dumbbell in each hand. Extend your arms on each side of your body with your palms facing each leg. Keep your elbows tight against your body, curl the weights up in a hammer motion and slowly return to the starting position. You can work both arms simultaneously or alternate the two. Repeat as many times as possible. Remember the goal is to fatigue the muscle–think tired equals toned!
Irresistible Triceps: Lie flat on a mat or weight bench. With a dumbbell in each hand, extend your arms straight above your head, palms facing each other about two inches apart. Keep your shoulders pressed flat and avoid moving them. Bend your elbows and slowly lower the weights until your hands are on either side of your head. Push your arms back to the extended position and repeat.
Smoldering Shoulders: Can be performed sitting or standing. With a dumbbell weight in each hand, extend your arms directly over your head, keeping elbows slightly bent to avoid locking. Slowly lower your arms until they are bent in a 90-degree angle, then push back to extended position and repeat. It is important to be sure you are pressing straight overhead!
Don’t have an expensive gym membership? Don’t know where to find dumbbells? Don’t worry. Try Target’s fitness section for a great, inexpensive selection of weights. Or even Sam’s Club for a great, cheap solution to make your workout hot body guaranteed!
Urban Girl Fitness Quote of the Day:
The only weights I lift are my dogs. ~Olivia Newton-John
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Recessionista: Zero Dollars, Good Fitness Sense
When you tighten your wallet in these tough economic times, what is the first luxury to go?
Manicures and pedicures?
Shopping sprees–retail therapy?
Gym membership?
It’s all of the above for me. Don’t let this recession get the best of you, ladies. You will soon be tightening your belt, the good way!
Who needs pricey gym equipment? All you need are two arms and some strength for push ups.
Here’s a variety of push ups that make fitness sense…
Leg Raised Push Ups: It’s all in the name, this variation of the push-up involves keeping one leg raised in the air. Using this posture requires more core strength than a standard push-up, so you may want to incorporate it into your routine. Be sure to switch legs at some point to ensure that you work your body evenly.
Plyometric Push Ups: Thrust your body upward, to the point where your hands leave the ground. Throw in a hand clap before hitting the ground.
One Armed Push Up: I think it’s pretty self explanatory. Make sure to switch sides for each rep.
Spider Man Push Up: This is a great way to work your chest and triceps with this climbing-type move. You can either do it while remaining in one place, or you can ’spider crawl’ your way across the floor.
Hand Stand Push Up: This one is very tricky, use your wall to steady yourself while in a hand stand position and try to raise your arms lifting your body weight.
Urban Girl Fitness Quote of the Day:
It’s a recession when your neighbor loses his job; it’s a depression when you lose yours. ~Harry S. Truman
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Newbie News: Triathlon Tips
The ultimate test for an athlete, the triathlon. An intense combination of swimming, biking and running lead to the ultimate accomplishment.
It’s an accomplishment that someday I would like to tackle and conquer. It’s this reason why I recently attended a triathlon training seminar at Fleet Feet Sports in Chicago.
It was a very informative seminar and as I looked around the room I saw several others with curiosity, nerves and sheer determination on their faces. We covered everything from do I apply sunscreen before or after I put on my wetsuit? Do I need a wetsuit? What should I wear–tri-racesuit or swimsuit or sports bra? Can I run with an iPod? How do I attach my time chip? How long do I have to tread water before we actually take off? How do I remember where my bike is in transition?
Here’s what I learned:
#1: It’s very important to be prepared. If you rush to the race and aren’t prepared, chances are it will be evident in your overall performance.
#2: Pack a backpack the night before the triathlon. Here’s a checklist we were provided at the seminar..
RACE:
- tri-short/jersey or tri-racesuit
- race belt/number (you can purchase a race belt that securely holds your race number, so you won’t end up wasting valuable time with safety pins, etc.)
- chip strap (you can purchase this at any athletic store, it simply and comfortably goes around your ankle–most races provide zip ties that can be very uncomfortable)
SWIM:
- Wetsuit
- Goggles (always make sure to have an extra pair on hand, sometimes your nerves will have you adjusting and readjusting your goggles causing a snap–better to have backup just in case)
- Swimcap
BIKE:
- Bike (duh!–make sure to pump your tires that morning)
- Bike Shoes
- Bike Gloves
- Helmet (most triathlons with provide labels to attach to your helmet so you can match your race number to your gear)
- Sunglasses
- Water bottles (Professional triathletes like to run with water bottles in hand, it helps them pay attention to their swing and the rhythm of the water swooshing helps with keeping pace)
- Nutrition Bars and Gels (Clif Shot Bloks apparently taste like gummy bears and provide that extra yummy factor to help you go the distance)
- Spare Inner Tube or Tubular Tire (if you have a flat you might end up waiting forever to get it fixed, to save time do it yourself!)
- Spare CO2 Cartridges
RUN:
- Running Shoes
- Hat or Visor (keep the sweat out of your eyes)
- Nutrition Gels
TRANSITION:
- Towel (to stand on)
- Water Bottle (to wash off sand)
- Body Glide (sounds funny I know, but it helps slip that wetsuit on and off which helps if you are in a time crunch)
- Lip Balm
- Sunscreen
- Floor Pump
- Backpack with Wet Storage
- Post Race Clothes and Sandals (sometimes you won’t be able to get your gear immediately after the race–keep that in mind to make sure you have everything you need to hold you over in the meantime)
#3: If you are concerned you can’t buy a pricey wetsuit of your own, don’t worry most races allow you to rent a wetsuit for the race.
#4: Make sure to set up your transition area to be as organized as possible, think office cubicle!
#5: Try not to run with an iPod, it can be very dangerous. Try the water bottle trick I mentioned above to help your run.
#6: Always, always wear sunscreen. Get a very strong athletic brand, we’re not talking Banana Boat here.
#7: There will be many bikes in transition and you don’t want to wander around endlessly during transition, try to mark your bike and transition area. Tie a bright t-shirt around your rack, some people even mark their trail with baby powder and balloons!
#8: Don’t bring expensive bike computers, it may help your ride but is so easy to lose and has a high risk of getting stolen.
#9: Don’t be the last person to grab your bike, otherwise somebody else might grab your nice ride!
#10: Smile and have fun! You can do this!!!
Here is a great site I found that has some helpful stories from newbie triathletes.
Urban Girl Fitness Quote of the Day:
The only one who can tell you “you can’t” is you. And you don’t have to listen. ~Nike
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On YOUR Left: Bike Path Bi@*#ing
On your left.
On YOUR left!
On YOUR LEFT!!
ON YOUR LEFT!!!
Does this sound familiar? If you are a cyclist then you probably feel my pain. It’s simple, work with me here people, hold up your hands in an “L” shape. The one that looks like an “L” would be your left hand. Congratulations there you have it and now everyone is a winner!
I set out this morning to knock out some training on my bike for an upcoming ride. What you think would have been a lovely bike ride on a gorgeous day in Chicago turned into frustration from those who don’t have the slightest clue of bike path etiquette.
Not only is it just plain rude, it’s very dangerous for those actually using the bike path and I’m not talking about the beach-goers and tourists looking up at the sky.
Bare with me here while I list my biggest pet peeves for the bike path (you know that picture on the BIKE path with a bike frame, wheels and handlebars and says bike path that represent a BIKE path, spell it with me B (Buh) I (Eye) K (Ku) E (eee) path!)
RULE 1: When I say I am on your left that means I’m on your left. It doesn’t mean turn around and stare, it doesn’t mean walk further to your left, it doesn’t mean stand there with a clueless expression on your face. It means move over or you are going to have my front tire between your legs and trust me I don’t want to do that, it’s been done before and it’s not fun!
RULE 2: We drive on the right side, so we ride on the right side of the bike path. Pretend you are driving your car down the street, what happens when you drive on the wrong side? A crash. Ding! Ding! Ding! Please do not walk on the wrong side of the bike path.
RULE 3: Music and bikes do not mix. A bike path can be dangerous when you have you volume all the way up and can’t hear people like me screaming that I am on your left. Trust me I understand that music helps runners since I know that first hand, but please please please be aware of your surroundings. Just like crossing a street please look both ways and make sure you run on the very right hand side of the path to let bikes pass. For you bikers with iPods, please keep only one ear bud in because I don’t feel like screaming and losing my voice as I pass you.
RULE 4: Yes rollerbladers you may have some fancy footwork that you like to showoff, but please for the love of God, don’t hog the path with your criss-crossing moves and please listen to me when I warn you I’m coming.
RULE 5: Oh look there’s your neighbor, want to say hi? That’s fine by me just don’t stop abruptly in front of me and move to the side, preferably the grass to continue your conversation.
RULE 6: If you can’t keep your eye on your kid while you drink that Budweiser with your beer gut hanging out in all its glory, then don’t yell at me when I tell your kid to watch out and be careful as he jumps in front of me with no time for me to stop!!!! Fortunately I stopped just in time as the man yells “SLOW DOWN!” It leaves me boiling with frustration..Slow down. Slow down! Did he really just say that!?! He’s telling me to slow down while I am using a bike path, I repeat BIKE path to ride and train. Deep breathe. Please keep an eye on your small children, teach them that the bike path can be dangerous, teach them to look both ways. If you are more interested in your beer than your child’s safety then get a leash for the kid!!! Come on people!
Alright I feel better now. Just needed a venting session and I am sure all of my Urban Girl’s feel my pain. I would love to hear what makes you ladies tick on the bike path!
Urban Girl Fitness Quote of the Day:
Good manners will open doors that the best education cannot. ~Clarence Thomas
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