Save the Ta-tas!

Hey there RYPEness!

How are you…and your ta-tas doing? Why am I asking about your ta-tas? Well…because I care, and you should too!!

We are doing our best to take care of our bodies by leading healthy lifestyles and eating right. All of us *wink wink* are ensuring that we are getting at least 30 minutes of exercise in daily and eating clean meals. Right? RIGHT! But are you making sure that your ta-tas are good too? Did you know that wearing a good sports bra that fits properly is just as important as making sure you are wearing the right running shoe, or that your bike is the correct size for you? Did you know that failing to wear a supportive and properly fitting sports bra during exercise can lead to permanent breast damage whether you’ve experienced pain or not, and even if your breasts are very small?

Yup.

Let’s think about running. When we go for a jog, as we run our legs are moving and our arms move back and forth. There is control to that movement since our legs and arms contain bone and muscle that we move at will. Howeva….’ya girls’ are made up of mostly fatty tissue and mammary glands. There is no muscle there that can be controlled. There are no bones that can provide a structure of sorts. So those mama-jamas are free to bounce around willy-nilly!

OUCH!

The primary support structure for the breasts are ligaments called Cooper’s Ligaments. These are connective tissues in the breast that help maintain structural integrity. Secondary support for the breasts comes from the skin. To understand the damage that can occur to these two elements if not properly supported, try this easy demonstration. Take a rubber band and cut it so its just one long strip, then measure it. Tie a weight to the end and begin swinging the rubber band around for a period of time. Measure the rubber band again. By golly it’s longer!

Now…apply that same concept to your love bumps. Not a pretty picture, right?

Yeah, we gotta tie those breastisis down darling! Because once we stretch those ligaments and skin, there is no un-stretching. Your only option to reposition them off of your belly is surgery…that’s not cool. And don’t think that just because you happened to be not as well endowed as some of us larger boobed females that you are not prone to this same stretch and hang, because you are.

So prevention is key! It’s a must to find the right bra that stops the stretch. And to stop the stretch, we have to stop the movement. AND!!…just because you are wearing a bra that smashes your breast to the point of looking like a 12 year old boy does not necessarily mean that there will be no movement! When we are exercising there are three directions of breast movement:

1. Up and down
2. Side to side
3. In and out

We gotta stop all that. There are two basic ways that sports bras reduce breast movement during exercise: compression and encapsulation. Most of us are used to the compression bras, which are good at reducing up and down movement, but not so good at side to side. Encapsulation bras mimic our daily bras in that they have cups that “encapsulate” the breast. Finding a bra that does a good job of compressing AND encapsulating the breast is our best bet. Also, we want to ensure that our bras are made from good wicking material, thus pulling moisture away from the skin, to prevent painful and ugly chaffing.

So…it’s time to take a trip to a good fitness apparel retailer, like say TrySports…shameless plug…and get properly fitted for a good bra. The Adidas Supernova Racer Bra has been highly reviewed as a great high impact bra. Moving Comfort does a great job with sports bra as well. This is a company that was started by two women runners, so they understand the needs of women and have a variety of options that will meet your needs. Try Juno, Maia or Fiona….their top sellers.

Ladies…let’s save our ta-tas!! Take the time to go get the RIGHT bra. Sorry…during your workouts is no time to be showing off the cleavage, save that stuff for the club. Tie those girls down, fully. There should be no breast tissue oozing out from any part of the bra, they should be wholly contained! Then…let’s go have some fun taking care of our bodies!

Swim, bike run…RYPE!

 

 

 

RYPEness….START YOUR ENGINES!!!!!!

Yesterday morning during our swim clinic, an interesting conversation ensued about skipping breakfast. Our clinics begin at 6AM…that’s pretty dang-gone early. Anyone who knows me, knows that for me to get somewhere by 6AM is definitely a stretch. But to try to get some breakfast in me first? Mannnnnnn, listen. That’s a task!! However, I realized a while ago that not getting any calories in my belly before a morning workout was definitely a no-no.

So what’s a procrastinating, snooze-button-hitter to do? All of the fitness and nutrition articles state that you should get a healthy breakfast in you 1-2 hours before your workout. Meaning…I’m supposed to get my tail up and fix myself a meal at 4AM??

Yeah.  

Right.

And although I recognize that as valued advice (it is wise to give your body time to digest your food and get those nutrients into your system) I knew I had to figure out a different plan.

But first…why IS breakfast so important? Well, per FitDay.com, there are a few good reasons why you should partake:

• It revs up your metabolism. Eating breakfast is a great way to get your metabolism working well for the day. When your body receives food in the morning, it tells your brain that you’re going to need to start working to digest it. This wakes up the system and warms up the metabolism so it’s ready to work throughout the day.

BAM! It starts the metabolism so its ready to WORK! And since you are heading to your WORKout, then this is a good thing! Be it a swim workout, a run, weight training or yoga, you are sabotaging yourself by not starting your engine first. Eating something to start that metabolism is just like allowing your car to warm up a bit before you blast the heat, throw it in drive and floor the accelerator. It’s a way to be kind to your engine…allowing it to go further and do more…for YOU! 

• It keeps you from binging. Not eating breakfast in the morning may save you calories for the time being, but it sets you up for failure throughout the rest of the day. This is because after not feeding your body for several hours overnight, a lack of food in the morning will leave you grumpy and hungry very early in the day.

So…you show up for that workout, empty stomach and all, muddle your way through that swim, drag yourself out of the pool, sluggishly get dressed for work, and when that box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts is the first thing you see in the break room, your diet for the day is ka-put! Because by this time you are starving, and you are willing to grab the first thing you see.

• It keeps you in a good mood. Feeding yourself in the morning will keep your spirits up throughout the day for a number of reasons. First and foremost, since your body won’t think that it’s starving after a nutritious meal in the morning, it’s easier to get in a good mood and stay that way. It also provides plenty of needed energy to help you get through the regular tasks of your day, which can help keep your mood bright and optimistic.

Ain’t nothing worse than a grumpy Shelly. Enough said.

So…..now that we have the ‘why’, you need to know the ‘how’, right? It’s easy. Drinking a glass of orange juice and eating a banana can give you a quick 150 calories. It’s not a lot, but its something. Keep Greek yogurt in the fridge, the Chobani Flips are DEE-LISH! There is even one variety with dark chocolate chips and almonds. WHAT! One of those packs about 250 calories. On your lazy Sunday afternoon, make some homemade granola, pre-package servings in ziplock bags and put them in your car. Easy eat-on-the-go engine starter.

Remember….warm engines run better. So regardless of how early that workout is, make sure you eat a little sumthin’ sumthin’ before you get started. It’s the RYPE thing to do!

 

 

 

 

Drills, Drills, Drills!

Hey there RYPEness!!!

How many of us can relate to this picture? Yesterday I had to send out a tweet about how cool it is to watch new swimmers start to “get it”. Remember: good swimming equals efficient swimming and efficient swimming comes from drills that reinforce that efficiency. Kind of sounds like physics equation, doesn’t it? Anyway, I thought that some of you out there in triathlon land -and beyond- might want to know which drills we are currently working on that are getting these awesome ladies to their “AH HA!” moments. Incorporating these into the beginning of your workouts is a really good idea….always.

Kick On Side drill. Why? This drill promotes good balance in the water. Serious swimmers use kicking on side during warm-ups and during the active rest portion of difficult swim training sets. If your kick is currently weak, use flippers and then slowly wean your way off of them as you get stronger. To know what your body position should feel like, stand up and raise either your right or left arm, and you want to raise it like you are really reaching to the sky in an effort to try to stretch your body out. Keep the opposite arm straight down and stuck to your hip/thigh. Pretend that hand is in your pocket and therefore cannot move. Position your head so that it appears you are trying to smell your armpit. No, seriously. When you need to breath, your head is going to rotate on a swivel so that now you are trying to listen to your armpit. No, seriously. Smell the armpit, listen to the armpit. Smell the armpit, listen to the armpit. Without seeing you can now actually visualize the head movement, cant you? AH HA!

Now….check out this video of good form while executing Kick On Side: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mjZsk8L0M0

Shark Fin drill. Why? This drill ALSO promotes good balance in the water. This balance thing is a repeat offender with the topic of swimming…balance is KEY! We in the triathlon swimming world tend to call that side kick position when you are listening to your armpit the “sweet spot”. It is perfect balance in the water AND you can breath. So to start the Shark Fin drill, begin in the same position as you would for the side-kick drill. Lift your elbow on the arm closest to the surface of the water up toward the sky…creating a ‘shark fin’. You do this by dragging your hand up the side of your body until it reaches your armpit (never thought our armpits would get so much love, did you?) or until you’ve made a shark fin. Once there, simply slide the hand back down your body to where it started.

Now…check out this video of good form while executing Shark Fin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwQ3l5YyloQ

Fingertip Drag drill. Why? Fingertip Drag is one of the oldest swimming drills in the books. It’s survived the test of time because it’s not only simple to explain but also incredibly effective. Fingertip Drag can help you practice a high-elbow recovery, and can help you achieve a relaxed hand during the recovery. The drill requires that your body be balanced, and that you use full body rotation in order to complete the drill correctly. That’s a lot going on for one drill, but it’s super effective!! We accomplish this drill by keeping your fingertips in contact with the water, and keeping the hands close to the body, and it causes you to then maintain a high-elbow recovery. Remember our previous drill? See how these build on each other to develop a highly efficient stroke? AH HA!  In order to SKIM the surface and not simply JAM your hand forward with a sloppy splash, you need to keep your fingers relaxed and under control. After your hand passes the shoulder, extend it forward and focus on staying long while the other hand is recovering. You will always want to keep your head down, and your body balanced.

Now…check out this video of good form while executing Fingertip Drag: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XITzpum5lxA

And there you have it. Three relatively easy but extremely effective drills that will develop you into an efficient, thus good, swimmer!

In no time you will be executing your swims with ease, just like this guy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pt2jxlkNpw

Hyped 2b RYPE!!!

These are a few of my favorite things!

Hey there RYPEness! We are gearing up and ready to go for triathlon training season. Exciting times, right? Everyone is hopping back in the pool, dusting off those bikes and lacing up those shoes in preparation for early spring races. So I thought this would be a good time to talk about a few of my favorite things and why I like them.

Aqua Sphere Kayenne Swim Goggles

When it comes to swimming, there is nothing more important than snug fitting, no leaky goggles. I mean, my swim cap can snap off, I have done a half ironman distance swim with no wetsuit….but if I have leaky goggles, that’s a jacked up situation! Aqua Sphere Kayenne goggles are my favs!

I personally like the blue tinted option…doesn’t affect me when swimming indoors and provides enough tint to ward off the sun glare when doing open water swims. The wider band around the sides creates a good suction, so they don’t leak. I still haven’t figured out how to avoid the “raccoon look” after a swim though.

Nike Slides

Next on my list…a good pair of slides. Ease of wear is a no-brainer. But why slides over flip flops? Well, if you are wanting to pack light, and make it easy to keep it moving, even when wearing those cycle socks…slides are key. That morning of your race, when you are trying to be as organized as possible it makes it easy to have your socks on (thus stretching them out a bit, therefore making them easier to slip back on once you come out of the water) and then just slide into your slides. You can easily put that tri-bag on your back and ride your bike from your car to the transition area, no problemo. Great post-race too once your feet are ready to come out of those closed in sneakers. These double as shower shoes, kick around the house shoes, grocery store shoes, take out the trash shoes, what-have-you. The functionality is the same sans socks too!

Anyone who knows me knows that I am big on moisturized skin…especially my lips. There is nothing worse than cracked lips…on me or anyone else! I have these inexpensive, super moisturizing lip balms ALL OVER THE PLACE! Next to my bed, in my car, several in my purse, and…of course…in the bento bag on my bike!

Cococare Lip Balm Cocoa Butter

True story…I almost panicked  when doing Ironman Florida when I hit a bump and my CocoCare came flying out my bag and into the ditch. What the heck was I going to do? Thank GOD for the extra one I’d packed, otherwise that bike cut off may not have been made! HA! Seriously though, I have yet to find another lip balm that last as long or doesn’t feel greasy. I will admit, applying while riding at 17 miles per hour can be kind of tricky…but I had to figure out a way to master it. LOL!!

HAPPY TRAINING!!

Stumpy Creek International Distance Triathlon

Did You Know…

…that improper breathing technique during swimming can cause scissor kicks, poor body position, cross-overs and lop sided strokes? Yep, sure can. Its human nature that, if we are unsure of our next breath, we panic. So becoming comfortable in the motion of breathing while swimming is key to “relaxing” in your stroke. And a relaxed stroke tends to be more efficient. And efficient swimming is what endurance swimmers – TRIATHLETES – are made of!! 😉 That’s why RYPE decided that the first swim clinic HAD to focus on understanding how to breath.

Executing breathing drills during the first RYPE swim clinc

Wednesday morning we had a super fun, yet very anti-climatic first swim clinic. Our clinic focused solely on breathing techniques. Essential, as described above. There was definitely no swimming, very little movement from one side of the pool to the next, and a ton of time standing still while bobbing our heads up and down. Simply getting “easy” with that feeling. Making it very easy to relax your body in the water.

And ya know what the hardest part of that breathing thing is? Learning to exhale completely. So check out this great article on exhaling, how to do it and why its so incredibly important:

http://www.swimsmooth.com/exhalation.html

Then make sure you incorporate breathing technique drills into your swim workouts. Watch your stroke and ease with the swimming improve!

Go ahead and exhale RYPEness!!

Hop On the RYPE “Train”

Hey there RYPEness!

Yep….I’m geeked…I’m excited….I’m happy…all that! Training is about to start for the Spring Team and I couldn’t be more thrilled about it!

The game plan for 2014 is set, and for me its just like Christmas morning to get the ball rolling! We had our Spring Team Kick Off this past Sunday…after it being rescheduled twice due to inclement weather. Inclement weather in Charlotte? Yeah, who would have thunk it? And for the two snow storms that we’ve had to come on the exact days that our Kick Off was scheduled makes me think I should have been playing the lottery!

First up on our plate is Tri Latta on June 14th. This is particularly special for me. You see…Tri Latta was my very first triathlon. For RYPE to have the opportunity to train a group of amazing women for a race that signifies the day I fell in love with this multi-sport gives me goose bumps. For some ladies it will be their first triathlon. For some who have done a couple, it will be there first experience with an open water swim. Either way, I am looking forward to seeing each of them cross the finish line, and – fingers crossed – get that same sense of overwhelming accomplishment that I did when I first crossed that exact same finish line.

Next Wednesday is our first swim. Since I know that most women are most apprehensive about the swim, I decided that before we start any triathlon specific training, we would have four clinics that focus solely on swimming….breaking it down to the bare elementary of sport. Regardless of swim ability, revisiting the basic techniques makes you a better swimmer. Period. So that’s what we are going to do! Also…I gotta tell you: I have an amazing team of swim coaches too. And I got them because they just WANTED to help, and they are equally as excited as I am!! It’s like a Divine charge all coming together!!!

*doing the ‘happy dance’ now*

I know I usually provide a blog full of helpful tips or a great recipe…but today I just wanted to write about being excited! I think more people should actually…because when I see or hear or read about someone’s excitement, it just makes me excited! And if everyone was in an excited mood, wouldn’t this be an amazing world to live in?

Imagine that.

So I’m excited y’all! I am excited to see RYPE’s plan being set into motion. I am excited about the group of awesome women that I get to work with. I am excited about witnessing their faces when they cross the finish line. I am excited about seeing that “ah ha!” moment when that one who couldn’t figure out her breathing technique get’s it. I am excited that, as a training ride, we are going to participate in the Tour de Cure; helping the American Diabetes Association find a cure for a disease that severely effects the African American community. I am excited that we have some really cool team nights planned. I am excited that the other day I had a young lady offer to be a run coach…literally she came up to me and said “I want to help with RYPE!” I am excited that we are doing the race that started this whole love affair for me. I am excited that the women training are excited! I’m excited that RYPE is inspiring women to TRI!!!!

EXCITING!

I am really looking forward to blogging about this season. I can tell this is a going to be a crazy fun group!!! Therefore, I’m excited about upcoming blog posts too! Whew…I just cannot seem to contain this excitement!

I see you smiling!

So all aboard this RYPE ‘train’…this is about to be an exciting season!

Hyped 2b RYPE!!

Strong Arm’n

Hey there RYPEness,

I am not sure where you might be when you are reading this, but not unless you live somewhere like California, or Hawaii, this winter has been the pits! Definitely not motivating me to be outside doing any sort of running or riding…and definitely not making me want to get in anybody’s pool! BLEH! So I wanted to give you a few things that you can do that will make you triathlon strong once the season rolls around. NOW….I am by no means saying that you can ix-nay your swimming, biking and running completely! We have to find a way to get in a few swim/bike/run workouts here and there, but we can replace some of them with much needed strength training. I did some research on upper body strength workouts for triathletes and found some really good ones.

Muscles are good….and sexy. 🙂  Its pretty self explanatory why having good upper body strength benefits us in swimming. I am sure we have all read how having good core strength helps us in with our runs. And now you know that having stronger biceps and triceps will decrease the amount of metabolic stress on your arms as you ride. You know this because I just told you. WHOOT!!! WHOOT!!!

So, here are two good workouts (each containing 4 strength exercises) I found on the Experience L!fe website. Love this site because it’s dedicated empowering people to become their best, healthiest selves (sounds sooooo RYPE, right?). And I really loved these workouts because they weren’t something that would require me to be in the gym for ump-teen hours on forty-five-one-hundred machines. They are short, sweet and to the point. And not only will they have you triathlon strong, but definitely bikini ready.

#WINNING!

 

Workout A

1) Speed Pushups

•  Assume the standard pushup position: hands slightly wider than shoulder width, balls of feet on the floor, body in a straight line from your heels to the crown of your head.
• Without letting your hips or head sag toward the floor, bend your arms, pull your shoulder blades together, and lower your body, keeping your elbows at about a 45-degree angle to your torso.
• When your chest is a few inches from the floor, quickly push yourself back up to the starting position.

Easier version: Perform the exercise with your hands on an elevated surface like a bench or countertop: the higher the surface, the easier the move.

Harder version: Perform the exercise with your feet elevated.

Why it’s good for triathletes: Improves upper-body pushing power; useful for the swim start and steep climbing on the bike.

Sets and Reps

• Week One: two sets of as many reps as possible in 20 seconds
• Week Two: three sets of as many reps as possible in 20 seconds
• Weeks Three and Four: three sets of as many reps as possible in 30 seconds
• Weeks Five and Six: two sets of as many reps as possible in 20 seconds; slow down these weeks and focus on perfect form.

2) Chin-Ups

• Take an underhand, shoulder-width grip on a chin-up bar with your palms facing toward you.
• Lift your feet from the floor and allow your arms to straighten fully.
• Pull your shoulder blades down and back, bend your arms, and pull yourself up until your chin is slightly above the bar.
• Lower yourself slowly back to the starting position.

Easier version: Perform the same exercise using an assisted chin-up machine, or have a partner give you a boost as you perform the move.

Harder version: If you can bang out 12 to 15 reps of body-weight chin-ups with no problem, try the same exercise while squeezing a dumbbell between your legs.

Why it’s good for triathletes: Develops the upper-back musculature necessary for a strong swimming stroke and for maintaining good posture throughout the run.

Sets and Reps

• Week One: two sets of 12 reps
• Week Two: two sets of 15 reps
• Weeks Three and Four: three sets of 12 to 15 reps
• Weeks Five and Six: one or two sets of 10 reps

Can’t do a Chin-Up? No Problem! See ELmag.com/pullup.

3) Alternating Dynamic Lunges

 

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, then step your left foot forward about a stride-and-a-half, allowing the heel of your right foot to lift an inch or two off the floor.
• Keeping your back straight and your eyes looking ahead, slowly bend both legs until your right knee lightly touches the floor.
• Reverse the movement, stepping your left foot back, and return to the starting position.
• Repeat on the opposite side. That’s one rep.

Easier Version: Lower your back knee only halfway down to the floor on each rep before coming back up.

Harder Version: Hold dumbbells at your sides.

Why it’s good for triathletes: Keeps the hip flexors limber and develops the glutes, helping to prevent lower-back pain and injury that can sometimes result from too much time in the saddle.

Sets and Reps

• Week One: three sets of 12 reps
• Week Two: three sets of 15 reps
• Weeks Three and Four: three sets of 12 to 15 reps
• Weeks Five and Six: two sets of 12 reps

4) Stability-Ball Speed “Olympic Diver” Crunches

 

• Sit on a stability ball, walk your feet forward, and lie back on the ball until your torso is parallel to the floor.
• Extend your arms overhead, interlace your fingers, and squeeze your upper arms close to your ears.
• Keeping your arms in this position, blow out forcefully, contract your abdominal muscles, and squeeze the bottom of your rib cage toward your pelvis.
• Return to horizontal position.

Easier Version: Perform the movement sitting toward the front of the ball so the ball supports your back, and your hands are higher than your knees in the starting position.

Harder Version: Hold a light dumbbell in your hands.

Why it’s good for triathletes: Unlike conventional crunches, this stricter version keeps your spine long as you work the core, which translates into better form on the run and a more streamlined shape in the water.

Sets and Reps

• Week One: two sets of as many as possible in 20 seconds
• Week Two: two sets of as many as possible in 30 seconds
• Weeks Three and Four: three sets of as many as possible in 30 seconds
• Weeks Five and Six: two sets of 12 to 15 reps, focusing on form

Workout B

1) Stability-Ball Dumbbell Overhead Presses 

• Sit upright on a stability ball, holding two moderately heavy dumbbells at shoulder height, palms roughly parallel.
• Keeping your lower back in its natural arch, smoothly press the dumbbells upward until your arms are fully extended overhead and your upper arms are close to your ears.
• Slowly reverse the movement and repeat for the appropriate reps.

Easier Version/Harder Version: Adjust the weight accordingly.

Why it’s good for triathletes: Improves shoulder stability and strength — both invaluable during the swim and bike stages.

Sets and Reps

• Week One: two sets of 12 reps
• Week Two: two sets of 15 reps
• Weeks Three and Four: three sets of 15 reps
• Weeks Five and Six: two sets of 12 reps

2) Seated Cable Rows 

• Attach a parallel-grip handle to the low pulley cable at a seated row station and set the pin at a moderately heavy weight.
• Sit on the seat, place your feet against the platform, and take hold of the handles.
• Sit up straight, arching your lower back and lifting your chest slightly.
• Without allowing your head to push forward, bend your arms and strongly retract your shoulder blades, pulling the handle back until it nearly touches your abdomen.
• Slowly extend your arms and return to the starting position.

Easier Version/Harder Version: Adjust the resistance accordingly.

Why it’s good for triathletes: Protects against “swimmer’s shoulder” and other issues caused by overuse of the shoulder joint.

Sets and Reps

• Week One: two sets of 12 reps
• Week Two: two sets of 15 reps
• Weeks Three and Four: three sets of 15 reps
• Weeks Five and Six: two sets of 12 reps

3) Dumbbell Front Squats

 

• Holding two moderately heavy dumbbells, stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width and your toes pointed slightly outward.
• Lift the dumbbells to shoulder height and rest them on the fronts of your shoulders throughout the movement.
• Keeping your feet flat on the floor, your eyes looking ahead and your lower back in its natural arch, slowly squat down until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor.
• With your weight on your heels, return to standing, keeping your chest up throughout the exercise.

Easier Version: Use body weight only, and, if necessary, only squat halfway down.

Harder Version: Use heavier dumbbells and squat as deeply as you can while keeping your lower back in its natural arch.

Why it’s good for triathletes: Builds strength in the lower body — especially useful for sprinting and climbing during the bike and the run.

Sets and Reps

• Week One: two sets of 12 reps
• Week Two: two sets of 15 reps
• Weeks Three and Four: three sets of 15 reps
• Weeks Five and Six: two sets of 12 reps

4) Knee-Ups

 

• Take an overhand, shoulder-width grip on a chin-up bar, palms facing away from you, allowing your legs to hang straight down toward the floor.
• Keeping your feet together, lift your knees as high as possible.
• Pause for a moment in the contracted position, slowly lower your knees back to the starting position, and repeat for the appropriate number of reps.

Easier Version: Perform the same movement using a pair of slings, which attach to a chin-up bar and loop around your upper arms so you don’t have to grip the bar. Then lift your knees just halfway up.

Harder Version: Perform the same movement with your legs straight, touching your toes to the bar.

Why it’s good for triathletes: Improves hip mobility, hip-flexor strength and core stability, for better strength and more efficient positioning during the run.

Sets and Reps

• Week One: two sets of 12 reps
• Week Two: two sets of 15 reps
• Weeks Three and Four: three sets of 15 reps
• Weeks Five and Six: two sets of 12 reps

 

Remember….TRI-ing is Sexy!!! So let’s get it!!!

Hyped to be RYPE!!!

Competition can be your friend!

Hey there RYPEness,

Some months back I talked about hydration and how drinking plenty of water is essential to your healthy well-being. Whether you want shinier hair, younger skin, a healthier body (or all three!), pure, clear water is the world’s best beauty elixir. According to WebMD, here are six good reasons to drink water:

1. Drinking Water Helps Maintain the Balance of Body Fluids. Your body is composed of about 60% water. The functions of these bodily fluids include digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature.

2. Water Can Help Control Calories. For years, dieters have been drinking lots of water as a weight loss strategy. While water doesn’t have any magical effect on weight loss, substituting it for higher calorie beverages can certainly help.

3. Water Helps Energize Muscles. Cells that don’t maintain their balance of fluids and electrolytes shrivel, which can result in muscle fatigue.

4. Water Helps Keep Skin Looking Good. Your skin contains plenty of water, and functions as a protective barrier to prevent excess fluid loss.  

5. Water Helps Your Kidneys. Body fluids transport waste products in and out of cells. The main toxin in the body is blood urea nitrogen, a water-soluble waste that is able to pass through the kidneys to be excreted in the urine.

6. Water Helps Maintain Normal Bowel Function. Adequate hydration keeps things flowing along your gastrointestinal tract and prevents constipation.

Want the details, check out the full article here: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/6-reasons-to-drink-water

But honestly, I think we all know that we NEED to drink more water. This issue is actually doing the dang-gone thang! So check it out…one of my good friends is an avid user of the app GroupMe. She decided that she would set up a group of her friends, allow everyone to set their own goal of daily water intake, and check in periodically throughout the day on where you are with your water intake. Now…I may be just a tad more competitive than some, but I believe that everyone has a little competitive beast residing within. Those little alerts I get that simply say “60”, indicating that someone has consumed 60 ounces of water at that point, serves as a reminder for me to go drink a glass…or two. It has been really cool to watch how everyone in the group has ramped up, if for no other reason than to stay competitive with the group. And at the end of the day, you have had a little fun…maybe edged out your competition, but most importantly….you got a good, heavy dose of that wonderful clear goodness that our bodies REQUIRE.

So try it! Have fun with it! And then watch how the health benefits of a little friendly competition translate into beautifulness inside and out!!

Yo….I’m at 45 ounces. What say you?

Destination is good!

Hey there RYPEness!!

So we all get into our fitness slumps. Nothing seems exciting anymore. Your favorite run routes have becoming mundane. The weather is not the most friendly for any outside training.  It just plain kinda sucks.

Well…do I have the remedy for the rounding fall and heading into winter training blues! The Reggae Marathon, Half Marathlon & 10K was about the most fun I have had doing a race and then chillin’ hard AFTER the race…ever. From the people, to the excitement of starting a race at 5:15AM, to the music, to the well organized set up (tons of water stations), to the scenery (frequent glimpses of the ocean as you ran down the road lined with cheering Jamaicans and foreign spectators), it was, in a word, AWESOME! And then after you have run your distance, crossed the finish line and gulped down fresh coconut water served right out of the coconut, complete with straw…you grab a Red Stripe and relax your feet in the ocean.

Shiggity don’t get no better than that.

However, if tropical bliss aint your thing, then find a cool destination race in a place of interest to you. There are all kinds of lists that reference good races, like Forbes Magazines Top 10 Marathons Worth Traveling For. Grab a few of your best buddies and get them to sign up too, then the party begins. Motivating each other to do the training workouts is a lot more fun, and then the race itself becomes much more than a race! It’s a way to settle that bet…its a much needed BFF get-away…its a fun party that’s packed with healthy well-being elements that are not only going to enrich your physical self, but your mental and spiritual as well. There is something to be said about all of the studies being done on the concept of group exercise. There is also something to be said about all of the thought and effort being put into executing “cool races in cool places”. Bottom line…it works for people.

So…check the listings, find a race, grab your crew and start the journey! I can guarantee that you may find adding one of these types of races to your schedule will become an annual “must do!”

Just trying to “Inspire YOU to Tri”!

Getting ready to get it in!