ride-related stories
I'm jealous, now let's run
When I see someone running, I want to run. When I see someone power walking, I want to power walk. And when I see someone riding a bike up and down the seven hills in the my neighborhood -- big hills, I might add -- I want to be conquer those very same hills.
My new neighbor inspired me. There she was the other night, powering up and down hills while I was walking them. My walk was good. But that bike ride -- it looked even better. Well, it looked really hard, to be honest. But it made me want to tackle something different, a new challenge. I've never done it, so why not. I may even coax my seven-year-old into joining me. Together we can accomplish something great. Together we can become eye candy for those around us. What will they think? Probably that I'm huffing and puffing way too hard as my kid leaves me in his dust. What I hope, though, is that they'll think they want to ride too.
What makes you want to run, walk, or ride?
Helping kids push limits, healthfully
On the first day of camp, the kids and their counselors rode a total of 10 miles. But the rides were short and they stopped at several fun locations to play and rest in between rides. Still, my very fit and athletic son needed to take a bath that night to relax his muscles.
The second day, the kids rode about the same distance, but with only one, longer break in between. It was a hard day, evidenced by the fact that more than half of the kids dropped out after day two. My son mentioned that he thought maybe he'd like to quit, too. But day three was too intriguing for him to give up.
Perfect Father's Day gift for the sports fanatic: Send your guy to Man Heaven
Healthy Home, Healthy Places, Healthy Relationships, Stress Reduction, Womens Health, Celebrities and Entertainment, Healthy Kids, Cellulite, Obesity, Healthy Events, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Reviews & Products, Motivation, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health
A few months back I went to a place I like to call "Man Heaven" and wrote a few articles about it. Man Heaven is also known as ESPN: The Weekend at the Disney Hollywood Studios in Florida. The event was jam packed with dozens and dozens of your sports lovers' heroes from today and yesteryear. Football, basketball, baseball, tennis, hockey and golf stars flooded the theme park with ample opportunity for each Disney guest to get up close and personal with the athletic love of their life.
Of course, there were also a ton of female fans decked out in their team jerseys, but truly....this event was for boys. Young boys, elderly boys, and every boy in between. I saw big groups of men in coordinating jerseys riding the tram to the park, and then I saw tons of father/son duos shooting baskets with their favorite hoops star.
The event isn't until early next March, so you'll have plenty of time to book your air, hotel, and ticket reservations. He'll have lots of time to squirm with anticipation for the big event. Trust me.....if your guy loves sports, he will love ESPN: The Weekend and love you even more for sending him to it.
It's about the bike in the breast cancer fight
Healthy Events, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness
It's not about the bike, said Lance Armstrong in his book about his fight with cancer. In the fight against breast cancer, though, it is about the bike. It's a bit about chocolate too. And let me tell you, after a 220-mile bike ride from Hershey, Pa. to New York City, riders are going a deserve a bite of the sweet treat this starting city is famous for.
The Hershey's Tour de Pink bike ride, benefiting the Young Survival Coalition -- a non-profit network dedicated to the issues unique to young women and breast cancer -- aims to spread hope and awareness while promoting a healthy lifestyle. Four days of riding from October 3-6 is all it takes. If you can't make it to the big event, you can virtually tackle your miles at home.
The Virtual Ride challenges riders to pedal 220 miles from now until October 6. Start logging the miles you cover on quick rides through your neighborhood or on your stationary-bike excursions. Participate as an individual or form a team. It doesn't matter, as long as you register and ride. Raise a minimum $250 and you'll receive an official Hershey's Tour de Pink jersey. One-hundred percent of the money raised will go to the YSC.
Patrick Dempsey picks Spandex over baggies
Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment
Patrick Dempsey says he gets a lot of crap for it, but he does prefer Spandex over baggies. Well, when he's biking anyway.Gracing the cover of May's Bicycling magazine and the subject of a dreamy interview, the Grey's Anatomy star reveals how he broke into the sport of cycling, how he lost 12 pounds pushing those pedals round and round, and how he prefers solo to group riding. That's not all. Dempsey has lots more to say.
This TV and movie star says he's more energy drink than expresso, says right now, he's riding a new Tarmac SL, and says a ride -- on the day he gave this interview, he rode 21 miles -- is a sort of meditation for him.
Take a spin over here where Dempsey spills more of his fitness secrets.
Ride with the group or go it alone
What do you think -- ride with the group or go it alone? Before deciding, you may want to better understand the anatomy of a group ride.
A typical group ride consists of any number of riders -- maybe three, maybe 150 -- and typically lasts between two and four hours. Common to group rides is a psychological factor. There's usually at least one person in the group more aggressive than the others, a person who either inhibits or inspires riders.
There are two types of rides, neither of which are races, both of which prepare riders for races. There are training rides, where riders work together on a skill. And there are club rides, where it's not clear who will show up and where a lack of focus can present a challenge.There's so much more to consider about group rides, and you can learn more here. But the bottom line is this: each athlete's fitness level and goals are unique. For those new to race preparation, it may be wise to avoid unstructured group rides. For those with a little training under their belts, the group ride may be in order. If you're up for it, give it a go -- see how you feel when you're rolling the down the road in that collective pack. I can only imagine it must feel exhilarating.
All about the bike
Fitness, Motivation, Nutrition & Supplements
With aching legs and labored breathing, we rode over flat terrain, and up hill, and down hill, and when we arrived at our half-way destination -- my sister's house -- we took a break. Then it was back on the bike for the return trip home. Joey said mid-way home, and mid-incline too, that he wished his Daddy would arrive -- Daddy has a truck, and Joey thought he needed rescuing. He didn't, though. He muscled his way through our journey and even announced at one point, "Can you believe a little guy is riding all this way?" I could believe it. I was witness to it. And it was grand.
Riding his bike this morning was so good for Joey. It was physically good, and mother-and-son good, and most of all, it was self-esteem good. Joey is proud, amazed even, that he accomplished such a task today. It makes me want to ride with him again, after he recovers from this fitness feat. When I told him, "Joey, I think we should do this every weekend," he replied with pure fatigue, "No! How about every 10 weeks?"
Every weekend, every 10 weeks. It doesn't matter to me. I'm game either way.
Bicycling: One of the most forgiving sports
When you think of being "seasoned" in pretty much any sport you probably picture a pretty fit physique to go along with the skill. But that's not always the case -- interestingly enough there are some sports that you can work at regularly and get good at without necessarily fitting into a sport-specific shape: bicycling for example. Due to aerodynamics and the unique way the center of gravity is used bicycling is much more forgiving of body type and age than other sports like, say, running. It's not uncommon for cyclists to surprise you by not fitting the expected 'mold' of young and rail thin -- instead being of all ages and all body types.
Fit Factor: Surf's up!
Kate Hudson does it. Cameron Diaz broke her nose doing it. Those crazy kids in the Archie comics make it look so easy. What is it? It's surfing, the sport synomous with California and bleach-blond, perfectly toned pretty people on the beach. But in all fairness, surfing is a world-wide phenomenon and is popular in places you wouldn't think, like Canada (Nova Scotia and Vancouver Island in particular), the UK, Indonesia, Chile, Italy and South Africa, plus a few places you would, like Hawaii, Mexico and Australia, where yours truly is soaking up the sun right now. And since surfing is practically the national sport of Australia, I decided to find out more about it and even try it if the chance arrives.
All I know about surfing thus far is that it involves standing on a board while riding waves, and that it gave rise to the word Tubular which hit its peak of popularity while I was in Jr. So that's not a lot, but hey, I'm pretty fit and I've got good core strength, so it should be easy for me to pick it up, right? Wikipedia has a good scientific explanation of surfing, but I'm more interested in finding out just how it's done and how easy or difficult it is for a beginner.
Do you workout with music?
Take a look around any gym and at least 9 out of 10 people will have headphones on, either listening to the news/soap operas/sports that the gym TV is tuned into or playing music from an mp3 or CD player. In the gym, the desire to listen to something other than the strangers around you panting for breath is understandable, but do you listen to music outside of the gym as well?
Personally, I have mixed feelings about it. I like background noise, so if I can play music in the area that I am in, I enjoy it. Sometimes I find it to be distracting to have music playing right in my ear, where I can't really tune it out, though. Music is helpful with motivation and consistency when the beat matches your own rhythm, but it can really throw you off your stride when it doesn't.
What do you think? Do you workout with music?
