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How To Run Your Best 5K

FitSugar — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 07:30:00 -0800

If you are following the Couch to 5K plan or the beginner's running program from Runner's World, you are going to be ready to race your first 5K. It is always good to get a few tips from seasoned runners.

Here's some advice from the readers and runners over at Runner's World:

Sign up! You can't run a race if you're not there. Here is a race locator and you can surely find a 5K close to you.
Eat a bit before the race, but keep it light. A bagel, a banana or peanut butter toast will help fuel your race run. Most races provide water and snacks at the finish line.
Don't skip the warm-up. Jog for 10 to 15 minutes on the race course to familiarize yourself with the course conditions as well as to get your blood pumping.
Have fun. Running can be very social and 5Ks are generally low key events.
Finish strong and celebrate! When you see the finish line, kick your pace into high gear and give it all you've got. Cross the line and smile. You just ran your first race.

Do you have any advice to add? Share it in the comments section below.

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5k's with 6 Kids: Ceci St. Geme Is One Fast Mother

FitSugar — Sun, 13 May 2007 02:00:00 -0700

I am always looking for inspiration and I found it recently in one fit and fast mom - Ceci St. Geme. Here's some interesting numbers on St. Geme:

17:30 - Her average 5k time, these days
6 - Number of kids she has - ages range from 8 to 19
44 - Her age
6 - Number of times she has appeared on the cover of Runner's World

Impressive, right?

Here's what she had to say in a recent interview with the folks at Runner's World:

"I run a 5-K, and I'm home by 10 a.m. A marathon and its training takes so much more time and energy."

"There's always the guilt factor when you take time for yourself, whether it's for running or photography or whatever. I definitely worry about dropping the ball with one of the kids, but I'd worry about that even if I didn't run. I'm more prone to think, I run, which makes me happy--and a happy mom equals happy kids."

"Cross-training doesn't really work for me. Running is really the only thing that prepares me for racing."

(on having had au pairs, baby-sitters, and housekeepers at various times)
"I realize I'm extremely lucky to be in the position I am," she says. "With six kids, I'd be doing laundry and cleaning all day if I didn't have some help."

So, my treat to myself this Mother's Day is going to be a nice long run. Just me, my iPod and the road. After I have digested my breakfast eaten in bed, of course!

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10 Tips From a Bally Fitness Director

FitSugar — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 05:30:00 -0800

You can get fit in 2009 and we are giving away an incredible package of goodies to help you on your way. Along with a year's worth of nutrition plans by Alexa Fishback and a $1,000 Nike gift card, we are giving away two annual memberships to Bally Total Fitness along with some great Bally's gear. Amie Harwick, a fitness director at a Bally's in the LA area, has some tips to help you get back to basics and fulfill your 2009 fitness goals.

They are:

Doing 100 crunches won't get you that flat stomach that you want for the Summer. Instead, focus on full body exercises to maximize your calories burned.
Want to maximize your results and utilize your time better at the gym? Then do active rest between sets of exercises. The easiest options are jumping jacks, running laps, or jumping rope.
Work out with a partner, or even better, a personal trainer! Someone holding you accountable will make the difference between you making excuses and you seeing results.
Creating accountability also works with your diet. Write everything that you eat and send it to a friend daily. Have her send hers to you as well. Writing down your food works well when there is someone that will reinforce your good and bad choices.
Exercise shouldn't just be at the gym! Surround yourself with healthy friends and go for walks, hikes, kayaking, and choose other activities that make you move your body.

For five more tips, just read more.

Don't underestimate the power of sleep. A normal healthy adult needs seven to nine hours of sleep a night. Too little sleep can cause drops in metabolism and heightened stress, increasing the likelihood of avoiding needed exercises. Get those Zzzz's!
Confused about what to eat for breakfast before a workout? Basically, anything is better than nothing, but to be top notch, choose foods that are high in complex carbs to give you energy that you need. High fiber cereal with skim milk and yogurt with granola are great choices.
Commit yourself to a run or an active event that will motivate you to train. Even if it's a 5K charity walk, knowing that's coming up will push you to prepare.
Stay away from sports drinks or energy drinks. The best way to stay hydrated is just water.
One easy thing that you can buy is a pedometer. If you can't make it to the gym, go for a walk/run. A mile burns roughly 100 calories. Use the pedometer to track your distance when walking your local neighborhood or park.

Keep it basic. Keep it simple. Stay active. Eat healthy, often, and in small portions. Most importantly, stay positive! And don't forget to enter the Get Fit for 2009 Giveaway!

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Where to Start: From Zero to a Mile Swim Plan for Newbies

FitSugar — Tue, 20 May 2008 05:30:00 -0700

I am a fan of the Couch to 5k program for helping people get up off their couches and out onto the streets. Well, here is a plan to get you in the pool. Now that the weather warrants a dip in cool water to cool off, have you considered swimming for exercise?

Swimming, like running, takes some time to build up the endurance needed for lengthy workouts. With running, the first benchmark is a 5k, and with swimming it is a mile, which is 1650 yards, not 1760 yards (1500 meters).

I found this wonderful program created by Ruth Kazez. Her Zero – 1650: A Mile in Six Weeks plan is totally doable, all it needs is you . . . and a pool.

Here's an example of the workout for the first week.

Week One - Do three days
100 yards – rest for 12 breaths, repeat 3 more times.
50 yards – rest for 8 breaths, repeat more 3 times.
25 yards – rest for 4 breaths, repeat more 3 times.
Total: 700 yards

Most pools are 25 yards long, so this workout would be 14 laps, or 28 lengths. Doable, right? Each week you add 50 to 200 yards to your workout. You slowly build up your endurance.

Her site is also filled with great swimming tips and workouts. Check it out and start swimming; it really is a great workout. See you at the pool.

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Are You Training for a Race?

FitSugar — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 05:30:00 -0700

'Tis the season! The season of races. Races of all kinds. Are you training for one?

If you are training for any kind of race from a marathon to a 5k, an endurance swim to a century ride, join my Race Day Training Group. We can share workouts and tips, as well as cheer each other to the finish line.

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Come and Join the Race Day Training Group

FitSugar — Thu, 29 May 2008 10:00:00 -0700

I have two friends doing sprint distance triathlons, and I just couldn't bear to miss out on the fun. So a while back I joined a Tri Club and have been training, training, training.

Having an impending race has definitely pushed me beyond my training comfort zone and gotten me out the door before 6:00 a.m. Who knew the spin class could be so fun if you aren't really awake to savor the pain of sprinting up an imaginary hill on a bike that is taking you nowhere. I want to know about you all. What are you training for and how are you doing it?

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Looking For A Race? Active.com Is The Answer

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 13:30:00 -0700

Are you shopping around for a race to run? Be it a 5k, a Fun Run/Walk, Half Marathon or a Marathon you can find an upcoming race in your area at Active.com.

On the right side of their main page is a the event search box. Type in the type of event you are looking for and your zip code and all of the upcoming races in your area will come up. If you want to be more specific in your search, you can do an even more advanced search by type of race or if you are just looking for 10k runs. You can even sign up for many of the races through the site. Once you have registered and paid for an event, I think the chances of blowing it off decrease significantly.

I think fitness goals are great to stay motivated, and training for a race is a wonderful way to make sure you fit those workouts into your busy day and hectic week. It is like having a deadline and those sure do motivate us at work and school, so why not have an event deadline to keep you moving.

Fit's Tip: Check out the races in your area and choose one far enough in the future that you can train. If you are curious to start running try the Couch to 5k program at Complete Running. It takes at least 8 weeks to train. So think about signing up for a race in mid June or later.

Know Your Races: The "Athons"

FitSugar — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 09:30:00 -0700

There is always talk about all the '"athons," so I am sure you know the names, but do you know what they really mean?

The term marathon comes from the legend about a Greek soldier, who was sent from the town of Marathon to Athens to announce that the Persians had been defeated in the Battle of Marathon - it is said that he ran the entire distance without stopping. So now that you've got a little history, here is what it all means in modern times.

Marathon: A marathon is a long-distance running event of 26 miles and 385 yards (42.195 kilometres) that is usually run as a road race but can be done as an off-road race (for example, on mountain trails) too.
Half-Marathon: A race that encompasses running 21,097.5 meters, or about 13.1 miles.
5K: A race that encompasses running 5 kilometers or 3.107 miles.
Aquathon: A race encompassing swimming and running.

So consider this list before you sign up for any race so that you know what you're getting yourself into. If you are interested in brushing up on other race names, you should read up on the "athlons" too.

Fit's Tip: A good start is a Fun Run, which literally is a run for fun (often including runners who are sponsored for a charity). Unlike a lot of races (marathons, triathlons, etc.) fun runs do not require a qualifying time to enter the race.

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Healthy Dose Link Time!!!!!!

FitSugar — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 12:30:00 -0700

The Weighting Game wants you to weigh in on a yogurt ad that is not only a little racy, but sends a bizarre message about body image.

iFit&Healthy shares some tips on how to maintain your weight after you have lost it.

LIFT wants you to strap on your running shoes NYC.

About: Yoga proves I'm not the only one who thinks you should do yoga at your desk.

fitPod has some hot house summer beats for you to download for free. Make your workout hot with a new playlist.

Back in Skinny Jeans poses the question: Can being a diet spokesperson rev up the hottness of a washed up celeb?

Renee Get's Fit proves I am not the only one who thinks the Couch to 5k program is a great way to start running.

That's Fit has the skinny on Tiger Woods and fitness for golf.

Complete Running teaches your how to work through injuries so you can keep on running.

The Skinny Website proves that Pop and I are not the only ones interested in what Jen and Ben are doing in Hawaii.

YumSugar has a fast and easy dinner for you to try: flank steak with pineapple salsa.

NetSweat has some news for you about lipodissolve.

Fitness Fixation has the low down on a new study of glucose tolerance testing.

The Lunch Box Guru at Elastic Waist teaches you how to make French girl lunch.

From Zero to a Mile: Swimming for Exercise

FitSugar — Mon, 14 May 2007 09:30:00 -0700

When starting a new form of exercise it is always great to have a plan. It is more than beneficial to have a little guidance to give your workouts structure.

Swimming, like running, takes some time to build up the endurance needed for lengthy workouts. With running, the first benchmark is a 5k, and with swimming it is a mile - which is 1650 yards, not 1760 yards.

I found this wonderful program created by Ruth Kazez. Her 0 - 1650: A mile in 6 Weeks plan is totally doable, all it needs is you.

Here's an example of the workout for the first week.

WEEK one (Three Days):
100 yards...rest for 12 breaths...repeat 3 times.
50 yards...rest for 8 breaths...repeat 3 times.
25 yards...rest for 4 breaths...repeat 3 times.
Total: 700 yards

Doable, right?

Her site is also filled with great swimming tips and workouts. Check it out and start swimming!!!

See you at the pool.

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