When I was in college at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, I participated in the first Women’s Little 500 there. It’s hard to appreciate the Little 5 if you haven’t seen the movie “Breaking Away”, or lived in Bloomington. 500 laps on a cinder track on a bike with one gear in relay format – that pretty much explains it. Our team of five girls rode a lot of miles in the hills around Bloomington to prepare for the race, and the bike I rode was a Schwinn 10-speed…I was always a little behind to put it mildly. However, after the Little 5, I borrowed a friend’s Trek road bike and entered in the “Take the Lake” 50 mile bike race. Since I had been training on a big heavy bike, when I got on the much lighter Trek road bike, I flew… and got third place. it was a blast! [Read more…]
Nine Reasons I Like the Exercise Bike for Cross Training
Lets Maximize Our Weekly Workouts!
Maximize your workouts
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A Few Thoughts About Conference Realignment and Amateur Sports
It may appear that I am drifting a little off topic today, but I actually think it has a lot to do with what 9 Kid Fitness is all about. Those of us who are my age were some of the first females to really benefit from the opportunities that sports opened up to women in college and beyond. Although I did not (nor do most) go on to play college athletics, organized sports continue to have an impact on our lives in a positive way. And many of us now have kids playing high school and college sports. I am worried that the athletic pursuit for young women (and men) might be squeezed out or at least impacted by what is happening with college football.
We have been hearing a lot lately about the possible realignment of many of the bigger college sports conferences. Although I am fairly (if not totally) ignorant about all that’s going on, I do understand that what is driving a lot of it is the popularity of football in terms of fan support and TV revenue. Just like most Americans, I like football, but as a cross country coach and as a parent of “non-football sport” athletes, I also have to wonder how it will ultimately affect the other sports, and frankly amateur athletics in general. At a recent cross country meet I started to wonder about all of this when I saw a young man run like the wind. [Read more…]
My Marathon Training…Long Run Down
I’m one of those weird people who loves a good “run” story. Give it to me play by play and I won’t be the slightest bit bored. Ok, that’s not totally true….maybe a little bored, especially if you start at mile one and I know you went 18…then I might get a little nervous. But I can relate to the really bad runs and also the really good ones, and it’s great to know I’m not alone in the “runner’s analysis” that tends to happen after both. On Saturday I had a really good run, and so I’m going to gloat a little…mostly because they have been so lacking in my marathon training up to this point.
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Healthy Apple Cobbler…Really!
As a rule I don’t like those desserts that are touted as healthy. I mean, come on…dessert is dessert; that’s the whole point. But this apple cobbler is truly an exception to my rule. I think one of the keys in this recipe is to use flavorful apples like granny smith, gala, and fuji. They are tart, but sweet and so the sugar is less important in the recipe (although you still gotta have it). Although it calls for real butter and a little sugar, in my book that equals pure ingredients not necessarily unhealthy ones. But you can substitute with other ingredients too. As fall approaches and the days are a little cooler (it’s in the 60’s today in Charlotte), apples are all over the grocery stores. So grab some and enjoy this awesome cobbler recipe that I tweeked from one I found in Bon Appetit. Although the miso isn’t cheap, its worth it for this recipe. [Read more…]
Nine Ways to Recover Well After a Workout
1. Cool down. Cooling down (not stopping completely) is crucial after exercise. Continuing to move around at a very low intensity for 5 to 10 minutes after a workout helps remove lactic acid from our muscles and may reduce muscle stiffness. If you have been running, slow it down, then walk for 5 minutes. Don’t do what I did the other day and run to your car immediately after your long run without appropriately cooling down (I was late to getting #6 to a practice and couldn’t stay for a cool down – I really felt the stiffness almost immediately and was sore for a good 24 hours). [Read more…]
Three Things Women Can do for Exercise Induced Incontinence
We are starting to hear more people talk about issues related to the pelvic floor, and this is a really good thing. Pregnancy, childbirth, episiotomy, fibroids, chronic coughing, menopause, weight gain or inactivity all can contribute to decreased tone, strength, and flexibility of the pelvic floor. When this happens we can experience symptoms of urinary or stool incontinence or other problems related to pelvic organs such as sagging or prolapse, low back pain, painful intercourse, etc. Since the most common is urinary incontinence, most women can relate to the experience of leaking urine, whether during pregnancy, postpartum, or as they get older. And for many, exercising is where it rears it’s ugly head.
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9 Kid Friday’s…Five Favorites
The following are five website/blogs on fitness, nutrition, family wellness, or health in general that I think others might also find interesting, informative, or just plain fun to read. Oftentimes I will read something and think how I want to share it with my readers at 9 Kid Fitness, and I thought this would be one way to pass on other’s good ideas and great sites. I will post a new set each Friday. [Read more…]
Local Fitness Promotions Online…a Good Deal?
I bought a “deal” today online. Although I have been receiving group coupon promotions on my phone, I usually don’t give them much more than a glance. But this one I had to re-read three times to see if I had it right: 20 outdoor boot camp or yoga classes, five oxygen therapy sessions (whatever that is), three 45 minute Far Infrared Jade massages (whatever those are) + 15 minute foot massage, two personal training sessions, 30 Day Diet Plan and Body Fat Evaluation, RMR (metabolic rate) testing…. for $20 from Anytime Fitness. Too good to be true? Maybe. I mean they claim the value at $534, and say it is a savings of 96% ($514)! I was number 165 to accept the promotion. That’s a lot of people for a fitness class, not to mention to schedule massages and “oxygen therapy” sessions. [Read more…]
Sleep and Athletic Performance
Sleep is an elusive thing for me. I jokingly say I have been sleep deprived for twenty-two years, but I think it’s actually true. Now I’m just wondering what the physical effect has actually been. I wonder about this for more than just myself. As a mother to many kids who have all participated in athletics and have busy schedules, I question whether any of them are really getting the amount of sleep they need to perform at their best, both mentally and physically.
I have always been interested in the subject of sleep (I’ve written about it on 9 Kid Fitness) and how it affects performance, etc., but I stopped reading about it because it just left me depressed and, frankly a little exhausted. But recently I am back on the bandwagon and I am taking more serious efforts to get more sleep. I realize with a two-year old and three teenagers who keep later hours than me, this is almost an impossible task. However, I am determined-somehow – to get more sleep. [Read more…]
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