Core Strength and the TRX

The road to recovery from my Fall leg injury is finally over. One of the main points that coach TL had me work on was core strength. Coach TL has a TRX contraption made by a company called Fitness Anywhere. Many days I found myself out in a park hooking the straps of the TRX up to some monkey bars and then doing a full body workout out in the sunshine (or rain). The main benefit I have found when using the TRX is how fast my core strength has increased.
This last Friday I had an experience that showed me how important and how much my core strength has improved. We had snow the other night and I love to run in fresh snow, but after the snow has stuck around a few days and developed into black ice running can be dicey. I hit an unseen patch of ice on a run and in the past I would have gone down. Not this time. My upper body did some America's funniest home video's contortions, but my lower body just rode the ice like I was on a rail. My foot stayed right under my hip just like skiing. Core strength, balance, stability, yea baby. Thanks Coach TL and TRX!!!!

Triathlon training excuses washed away, an amazing video

Just before Christmas I ran into a friend of mine (Dave Watkins) that I had done some training with a few years ago while he was prepping for his first ironman. He told me he had started a racing team and that I should look at his website. After seeing this video, coach TL and I met with Dave and have since joined the team. I can tell you that nothing puts the fire back into your training than to see others that have overcome so much and be successful. Here is the link to Ironheart racing: http://ironheartracing.com/

Steve

Wouldn't you just know it !!

Run training just going along fine, starting to get my diet under control, losing some weight and then BANG.....I strain a calf muscle. Looking back at my past few weeks training I realized that maybe I have added too much too fast and my calf was just waiting to blow. Recently I have added hiking hills with a weighted backpack into my workouts. After a few sessions I was really noticing that my legs were getting stronger. But there I was sitting on that knife edge of increased fitness and over training. Yesterday I had something tied down on my car rack and it came off, I jumped out of the car and ran back to get it out of the road. The combination of being on that knife edge, jumping out of the car and sprinting (to most people it would look like a jog, but to me it was a sprint), my calf just said sorry dude it's time to shut you down.

Oh well looks like I will get to spend more time working on my swim stroke, fast spinning on my bike, weights and yoga.

On the positive side I got all my Saturday yard work done today!!

Have a great day,

Steve

A brief introduction to Steve

Hi, I am Steve the newest member of the Active by Design Fitness team and I want to share my exercise and fitness experiences with you. My educational background is in exercise and sport science a field of study I never even considered while growing up because I was always the big fat kid on the block. I was always a competitive swimmer (fat guys float), but hated running and was terrible at explosive sports (except center in basketball, I had a big rear and a sky hook, but no D because I wasn't fast enough). In college I had a roommate that was in the exercise science program and got hooked. At the end of this whole journey I have worked in the Fitness/Recreation industry for most of my adult life and have completed 13 Ironman Canada races, nearly 100 other triathlons, marathons, long distance bike rides. I still think of myself as the fat kid and have to constantly be vigilant in my eating habits but I have proved to myself and hope to share with you a line from Adam Sandler movies that the crazy guy always yells "YOU CAN DO IT'.

Steve

Fiber

Fiber is a good thing right? Yes and no! According to Better Competitor magazine in an article by Kim Mueller MS. RD. “too much fiber can lead to nutrient deficiencies” and can increase risk for dehydration.”

If you consume more than 60 grams a day of fiber you are on the path of being deficient in minerals such as calcium, and iron. This is largely due to phytic acid which is found in foods that contain fiber. If you are deficient in any of these minerals you are subject to feeling tired, recovery from workouts are slower and the risk of getting a stress fracture increases.

Foods rich in fiber such as bran, and flax (just to name a couple), take water out of the body which causes dehydration, and results in cramping, digestive discomfort, and muscles that fatigue faster.

The recommended amount of dietary fiber in grams per day as outlined by Kim Mueller is as follows:

Girls 9-18= 26 grams

Women 19-50= 25 grams

Women 51+= 21 grams

Boys 9-13= 31 grams

Men 14-18= 38 grams

Men 19-50= 38 grams

Men 51+= 30 grams


Yes, you do need fiber for good health, just in moderation, and be sure to drink plenty of water.

About Coach TL

Hello, my name is Theresa, but everyone calls me TL.
I am currently a USA Triathlon coach and personal trainer. I have four great kids, and understand how difficult it can be to actually take time out for ones-self.

Sixteen years ago, I was 85 pounds overweight. Eventually I realized I needed to adopt a new lifestyle and get healthy, so I started running and changed my eating habits. Since that time, I’ve finished numerous triathlons of all distances, including five Ironman competitions.

Aside from 10+ years of triathlons, I’ve had extensive personal training in regards to gym work and weights, completed two open water swimming races, four half marathons, three marathons (including the Inaugural San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon with Team In Training), RAMROD (endurance bike ride in one day that is 154 miles and 10,000 ft. elevation gain), and am currently learning how to track race on the bike.

In my endeavors to get in shape and to do it with four small children I needed to somehow find time for myself. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was creating Pockets of Time to take care of my physical and emotional health. Through
that process I found I was a better mom and person because I was taking care of myself.

In my next few posts, I will share a few stories about the Pockets of Time I created when my small children were napping, playing, or playing with me.

Kevin Stone talks about the science of joint replacement

I'm so excited about this! If you've got knees like me (and ankles, and wrists, and...) you'll be excited to hear about the advancements Kevin Stone is making with joint replacement that are biological and not mechanical. This video comes from his recent TED talk; if you haven't seen a TED talk before...a word of warning, they are very addictive!



Here's some more information and links about Kevin Stone, can't wait to get that new set of kangaroo knees!

The Stone Clinic
And of course a Wikipedia entry on Kevin Stone