Music Monday!

For me, almost always, working out and music go hand-in-hand.  I acknowledge that music is a personal thing and songs almost always elicit a reaction-you like it, you don’t, it means something to you, it means nothing to you, it makes you want to cry, to dance, to sing, to run…

You get the point, right?

Well I wanted to take the opportunity to share with you some of my favorite workout songs.  Calling this “Music Monday’ seemingly commits me to posting every Monday-and I promise you, I will try.  Hopefully my giant iTunes directory doesn’t fail us.

So, to start it off, my song for this week is “Ali in the Jungle” by The Hours.

You may have recently heard this song around Olymics time-in a commercial or elsewhere.  I came across it while looking at a new video feature on the website for the UW Badgers.  The song’s lyrics are inspiring to me when they sing, “Everybody gets knocked down, everybody gets knocked down. How quick are you gonna get up?”  It reminds me that we all have hardships, we all have difficult things going on in our lives, sometimes we have a bad workout, but that we can bounce back and still be successful.

I also think the song has a great beat. I like to run to songs with a very noticeable and strong beat and for me, this on definitely meets that standard.

Not only do the lyrics that I’ve already mentioned, but the very beginning of the song is uplifting. I supposed I enjoy songs that make you think.  If I were to analyze this from the start, I would notice the hints toward the American dream-”its not where you start, its where you finish.” And again, at the end, the words are hard to distinguish, but they say, “The thing they said was impossible, he’s done!”

And, I will let the rest of the song speak for itself. Take a listen and let me know what you think!

Give It A Tri

During the winters I need to change my routine up a bit or I get bored solely pounding out the miles on the treadmill. So, I take a great “Boot Camp” class at my local YMCA and Fridays are Tri days.

I think that this is such a fun way to get out of a rut – and something that can be done in a short amount of time. I swim a 1/4 mile, hop out and do 5 miles on the spin bike, and then hit the track or the treadmill for 3 miles. It’s fun to do this with a friend and create a “race” atmosphere – or just see how your personal time improves from week to week.

I started doing this in January as a way to get ready for an indoor tri (which ended up being on a day I couldn’t participate) and it has been so much fun I’ve just continued it.

I’ll admit the only tri I’ve done as a race was the sprint indoor one at my Y last year but I’d love to get out this summer and fall and do an outdoor/longer one. What tri’s have you all completed? Any must do races? What are your struggles with tri’s? The biking to running transition? That seems to be what I need to work on most since my legs feel like jello! Any hard-core Ironman participants out there? What keeps you motivated? Any tips?

Happy Tri’ing

*Jen

Yakety Yak, A Fan of Yaktrax

As a former California girl (ok, ok, for 2 years, but it ruined winter for me for good) I don’t do outside running in the winter. If it’s under 25, snowy and cold, I’m comfortably pounding out miles on the treadmill. In addition to the fact that I hate the cold, I have a huge fear of slipping on ice and breaking myself (yes friends, I’m super clumsy).

 However, my dear friend Ann got a pair of Yaktrax for Christmas which meant I should probably invest so that I could join my favorite running partner out on the snowy trails.

 We managed to find a beautiful, cold (hello 7 degrees) Saturday morning and decided to give them a shot. Thanks to Shayla’s previous post, I was good to go in about 45 layers of winter running gear (ok, I’m exaggerating, it was only 42), and we headed out, YakTrax in hand, for some trail running.

 The Yaktrax are easy to slip on over your shoe, and I didn’t feel like I was lugging around extra weight. Ann liked the fact that you don’t feel the coils through the bottom of the shoe. We both felt that we had a great deal of stability and traction while wearing them, and I didn’t feel like I was going to slip and fall on my face, which is ALWAYS a bonus!

There are 2 products that YakTrax makes, the Walker and the Pro. Ann has the Walker, which retails for about $20. I have the Pro (mainly because it touts “better traction, confidence and safety on packed snow or ice” and I need as much of that as I can get) which retails for about $30. Both are available at most sport and running stores. I think that for recreational trail running, either product would be sufficient.  

The website touts that “Made with high strength, abrasion resistant 1.4 mm steel coils and heavy duty natural rubber material, the Yaktrax Pro easily conforms to the shape of your boot or shoe. With its patented SkidLock coil design, the Yaktrax Pro provides 360 degrees of traction on packed snow and ice and can be worn in temperatures as low as -41° Fahrenheit.”

You won’t see this girl out on a -41° day, but on a sunny, single digit (at least), non windy, non snowy, non rainy day, I’ll absolutely grab the Yaktrax again for a change of pace and scenery from the treadmill!

Does anyone else use Yaktrax? Love them? Hate them? Have a different opinion on the Walker vs. the Pro? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Running!

*Jen

Winter Workouts: Enduring the Great Outdoors

Madison is chilly right now-there is no doubt about that. But, there are some of us (Krista, in particular) who are brave enough to continue to endure the outdoors through the winter. I envy those with enough guts to stay outside during the coldest times in Wisconsin. Maybe it is my years of rowing and the freezing cold mornings that have tarnished my gutsiness in hunkering down and getting a workout done in the cold. Maybe I am just a wimp. Nonetheless, occasionally I do get out in the winter months and while I was a rower, the conditions were often-um, well, less than ideal.

So, here are some tips for those of us brave enough to bundle up and put in some miles:

1. Be aware and be safe: Don’t go out alone after dark.  The days are getting longer, but we still need to remember that being out alone can sometimes be dangerous. If you must go out when it’s not light out-wear some blinky lights, bring your cell phone, and run in well-lit areas.  And, if you’ve got a buddy you can check in with upon leaving and returning, that’s always a great idea as well.

2. If it looks like ice, dont’ run on it: My volunteer assistant coach during my freshman year of college told our team this. DUH, it is pretty self-explanatory, but goes along with being aware and being safe.

3. Layers: Figure out how to layer up when you head outside. This is something I got quite good at while rowing. Things to keep in mind…

• you need to still be able to MOVE once you’re outside
• head-wear is absolutely necessary-your ears aren’t made up of much and can be frost-bitten pretty easily.  Also, a lot of heat can escape through the top of your head, so hats can keep you warm and keep you from catching a chill.
• start with a tighter, warm, insulating base layer (spending a little extra money on this can make a giant difference)
• wear a wind resistant layer on the top
• vests! (I recently found a fleece vest on clearance at REI and it allows me to move, but not be too warm and was money well-spent)
• eye-wear! yes, even in the winter. often times, the sun show through the most when it is very, very cold outside.  wearing something over your eyes can protect them from glares and harsh rays and can also help to block some of that bitter wind. You can probably find a cheap pair to do the trick at any sporting goods store.

4. Know your weather: Get familiar with the weather in your area.  In Madison, we’re surrounded by water and when wind comes off the water it is often painfully cold.  If you’re running near Lake Mendota (eg: on the Lakeshore Path it is helpful to know that wind coming from the South will be most forgiving.  If you’ve got a North wind on a day you’re thinking of running there, it will be blowing at you quite a bit for your entire run.  Think about this-if you’re standing at the Memorial Union, looking out over the lake, you are facing North and wind is blowing across at you with nothing in between) Become familiar with www.weather.com or another site where you can check out local weather.

5. Discover a Running Buddy: finding a buddy to run with in the coldest of weather can only be a plus!

I hope these tips are helpful and I look forward to all of your comments!

Beating the Treadmill

I’ll admit, I’m a baby when it comes to cold weather. I have never been a fan. Ever. Beyond just being a baby, I’m deathly afraid of breaking myself. Winter equals snow and ice and slippery roads and I’m clumsy! Mix those things together and you get a girl who does most of her mileage from December to March on a treadmill!

To me, the treadmill is ALWAYS harder than any run I would do outside (even in the most awful outdoor conditions, ok maybe not a negative 20 or a super hot 140 degree day, but you know, for the most part…). I get bored on the ‘mill and I have to find ways to keep myself on it to get my miles in.

Although I still see plenty of hardcore runners getting in miles on the bike path along the lake every morning, for those of you like me who like to move it inside, here are some tips to help you keep going.

*Use the TV if you can – when I’m on for longer miles, I like to try to find a good movie (or even a bad one will do-I once caught a good chunk of Titanic during 15 miles on the ‘mill – thank you Jack and Rose and your silly little boat movie)

*Intervals – I like to play with my speed and incline, it’s a great way to work a little harder and keep your mind busy.

*Good music – a good playlist will always push me to go a little farther. I’m always looking for new music suggestions and on longer miles on the treadmill I’ll roll through a new play list or change up artists every few miles.

*A running partner – don’t just call a friend to run when you’re heading outside, drag them to the gym with you (if you can!) It’s a comfort to know that the person who is running next to you is going to run just as long as you are – and, you can catch up on your gossip!

*Even better? Make new friends. If you notice someone running at the same time as you do and they’re staying on for awhile, chat them up.

*Take a break – If you’re running really long, split up your miles with a walk to the drinking fountain. (for instance, if I’m running 8, and it’s a REALLY hard day, I’ll run 4 hop off quick and when I get back on I only have 4 more to go – piece of cake!)

*Don’t forget to drink – If your gym tends to run a little warm, make sure that you’re drinking enough water – I like to use my water intake as a way to get through too – taking a drink every 10 – 15 minutes.

Are there any other tips you have used to get you to stay on the treadmill? I’d love suggestions!

Happy running!

*Jen

Fancy meeting you here.

Welcome to Fit Madison, friends. I’m Krista. Hi there.

I’m here, along with some friends, to bring a community together here in Madison. I’ve been here for a year, and my absolute favorite thing about this city is the level of activity happening all around us. We are a fit city, regardless of Wisconsin’s reputation. Nothing stops the athletes and the active in Madison. I’ve yet to see a day when someone isn’t commuting to work via bicycle – and this is my second winter here. Runners are out on droves. The Wisconsin Ironman bike course is a flurry of activity as soon as the weather’s decent.

We’re all out there. I’ve seen us. But I want to bring us together.

I’m hoping to create a hub here at Fit Madison. A place to gather for training tips and advice, area race reports and announcements, gear reviews and a boost of adrenaline in the Capitol City. I’ve got some pals to the east, www.fitmilwaukee.com, who are on the same mission in their own town.

Take a little tour. Meet us, the writers. Peek through the links on the right. Notice your favorite race, shop or group is missing? Let us know! It’s an ever-growing list.

You can also follow us on Twitter. Look for @fitmadison or the hashtag #fitMAD. We’ll be there, waiting for you!

Spread the word. Share your thoughts. Interested in contributing? Let us know. And most importantly, be fit, Madison.

Fit Madison

Coming soon!