Sheila Runs

Getting Ripped Abs

sheila — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 17:18:11 +0000

Six-pack abs. Or at least ripped abs. How to get them? Well, it’s really a combination of exercises–both cardio and strength training–plus diet. Eat lean. Burn calories. Build muscle. Peel the fat away. See the results. Here’s a very nice 2-part article on the topic, which not only discusses the above in more detail, but also suggests a number of good core exercises to target all 4 of your abdominal muscle areas, as you need to develop all four to see the results you want and crunches alone will NOT do it.

How to get a flat stomach like an Ironman Champ (part 1) – EverymanTri.com
How to get a flat stomach like an Ironman Champ (part 2) – EverymanTri.com

Training for Cold Water Swims

sheila — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 23:58:13 +0000

Not that I am training for any cold, open water swims at the moment. But saw this article on the FINIS Blog, with a number of tips on how to train for such an event, plus comments from other readers, and want to save this link. I suspect that I will do the La Jolla Rough Water Swim again next year. I did it this year. Water temps were in the low 60s and no wet suits permitted. Definitely bears some thinking on how to get prepared for it next year. Thankfully I was only in the water for 38 minutes this year, and hopefully next year even less, but the cold did take a toll on my body.

Training for Cold Water Swims – 9 Tips You Need to Know | The FINIS Blog

Follow the link above to see the article on the FINIS Blog.

Inspirational Moments for Autistic Boy

sheila — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:57:35 +0000

Great video from a high school basketball game when a young autistic boy gets a chance to play. Gives me chills.

Good Core Videos from Rocky’s Gym

sheila — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 21:58:17 +0000

So Rocky’s Gym in Santa Cruz has some nice Yelp reviews. Looks like a good place to check out if you’re from that area.

My friend posted one of his YouTube videos on Facebook. Looks like an excellent core exercise that I am going to have to try.

Guerilla Cardio – When You’re Short On Workout Time

sheila — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 05:49:04 +0000

So here’s a nice article on Active.com about fitting in some intense cardio in a short window of time when you don’t have time for a longer cardio workout. Looks like a good alternative to just skipping the cardio. I want to keep this in mind for days when I need to fit something in but don’t have much time.

Your 12-Minute Cardio Workout Plan | Active.com

Sufferfest Bike Trainer Videos

sheila — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 02:39:39 +0000

So my friend @TriBeccaTO reviewed these Sufferfest bike trainer videos. They sound like quite a workout! Something to keep in mind for this winter’s training for sure.

Swim Stroke Technique

sheila — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:41:26 +0000

So I found a new swimming website with videos this week, through a link that someone tweeted. It’s called The Race Club. Videos are one of the most helpful things for me, with swimming. Swimming is so much about technique, much moreso that running or cycling, because water is about 800 times more dense than air. And water is not the natural environment for humans, so we do not naturally move through it in the best way.

The video that I saw tweeted was: Secret Tip – How to position your hands underwater – The Race Club. This is a good video about how to hold your fingers (just a bit apart) in order to create a bit of turbulence when you swim, which effectively increases your hand’s surface area.

I followed the link on the above video to this one, also very good: Secret Tip – How to Pull Underwater Drills – The Race Club.

Bike GPS logging and tracking web sites

sheila — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 03:34:55 +0000

So I saw this tweet today:

Anybody ever use http://ridewithgps.com/ ? Worth signing up for an account?

Someone responded as such:

@misterfonzie haven’t seen that one before. This one has been talked about on cycling podcasts lately, strava.com

Well, the strava.com site definitely looks like it’s worth checking out. Although I already log all my stuff to GarminConnect.com and also DailyMile.com. And another log isn’t all that appealing. But if it offers the right features it might be worth it. Looking to get into more riding. Might be worth it to hang out at a cycling-specific site. I’d like to do at least two century rides in 2012. Probably Tour de Palm Springs (which I did last year) and the Solvang Century Ride.

2011 Race Schedule

sheila — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 23:49:29 +0000

Well, now that 2011 is more than half over, what better time to unveil my race schedule for the year?

2011 Race Schedule for Sheila

I have shared this with a few other people before now, or bits and pieces of it, but never posted the whole thing publicly. Turns out I’ll probably add a few more things to it anyhow. I might do Long Beach Half Marathon on October 9th. Still thinking about it. And there will almost certainly be a Turkey Trot at Thanksgiving.

Warmup Exercises for Running

sheila — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:15:49 +0000

It’s a good idea to warmup and cool down before and after your runs. Can’t say I always do this…probably should. Also good to incorporate some stretching into your routine. I like yoga, actually. But even stretching immediately after the run is good. Sometimes I have periods where I’m really consistent and do this after all my runs for a while. Then I get away from it. I’m away from it right now, partly because my schedule is just so packed. I’m starting to notice IT band issues on the left again. I’m going to have to get the foam roller out and use it more. Ugg.

Anyhow, here’s a very nice warmup video from the StrengthRunning.com blog. You might want to view the whole blog post that goes with the video, as it has extra information and details.

The Standard Warm-Up: Video Demonstration