On the Run: fitness made simple

hey! so my brother and i just started this blog to get in shape together. we've followed a few blogs, but they all seem to be directed towards girls. do you know of any blogs directed towards guys/guy's fitness blogs? i don't want my brother to feel left out with a dash full of bikinis. thank you so much! i'll be looking around some more.

surfnrunnr Said:

male fitness blogs & bloggers like this post so people like Chris and Melissa can follow you!

haha yes, I can see how that may get tiresome for your brother. That is SO awesome that you guys are doing this together!!! Good luck, and I’m here for you guys :D I always try to post topics relevant to guys too.

Update your Nike Training App! There’s new bonus workouts and rewards!

FINALLY, it’s about time they released some new workouts. This one features USA’s women’s soccer celebrity, Alex Morgan (fyeahalexmorgan tumblr). It’s only 15 minutes, but it’s fast and intense! You’ll need a kettlebell (or dumbell), step, and medicine ball (optional). It’s a circuit of 3 sets. Each set is 5 minutes with 5 moves. No resting breaks, but pause the workout if you need a breather (we did!). My roommate, Jo, and I did this workout + 15 minutes on the elliptical after class.

The moves:

Kettlebell single leg clean and press: works you arms, legs, and balance
Quick feet on step: gets your heart rate up like your are sprinting
2 shuffles into 10 split jumps: awesome combination that works your inner thighs and butt
Burpee with 2 feet lateral hops over step: If you go at a pace that’s challenging, you’ll feel the burn in your quads when you jump onto the step. At this point, my muscles are fatigued.
Crunch with alternating kickdowns: always need an abdominal exercise to round out the workout! You’re fully extending your arms and legs so your core really needs to work.
Repeat 2 more times!

Take at look at what’s new on NTC and let me know what you think! I’d love to hear from you…miss my tumblr readers!

~Geraldine

Nike Women’s Marathon asked marathon finishers what 3 words described crossing the finish line and this was how people responded! Mine is the last comment: “I see Mom!” I was so excited to see my family at the finish. One of my biggest motivators was thinking about my mom, dad, and my cousins at the end. It really made running my first marathon more enjoyable, bearable, and meaningful.

I’m not going to lie…it took some nagging to get my mom to wake-up early and wait for hours for me lol. Do try and get someone to come see you on the race course and/or meet you at the end. It makes the pain worth it! Also, go ahead and cheer for total strangers. They may not look at you and or even look away because they feel awkward…but TRUST ME, it makes their run more interesting, exciting, and more fun! I high-fived some 5k runners who were already done, waved at a little girl, and perked up when someone called out my name (people can read it from your bib).

I think I now have courage to run the Nike Women’s Marathon in October by myself =).

Check out NWM 26.2’s facebook pack for upcoming events! https://www.facebook.com/NWM26.2

I’m on an airplane, but this is what I wish I was doing! Oh well…I guess I’ll do some kegels and knee-raises…

This is such a cool Asics ad! I agree 100%. Most of the time I’m not running for speed, but for exercise and time for myself. I value the time I have to sort out my problems, obligations, and to think about my goals. When I have lots to do in a day, I wake up a little stressed, but then calm down by thinking to myself, “It’s okay, I’ll plan it all out on my run.”

One time, a guy asked me, “So what do you listen to while you run for hours?”

Me with a smile verging on creepy… “I listen to my thoughts.” :)

What do you get out of your system & off your mind while exercising?

V-Hold with Leg Kicks from Sofia Boutella Fearless workout!

This move is awesome! It works your quads, thighs, and abs for a total core exercise.

I love how I can roll out of bed, put on my running shoes and clothes, do some forward bends and neck rolls, and be out the door exercising! No commute to the gym, no fuss, no special equipment, and no extra showers. (I love Bikram hot yoga, but man do I hate showering twice in a day!)

Lunge with Torso Rotation

Time: 1 minute, 30 seconds on each side.

1) Start in a forward lunge position with both legs bent. Hold dumbbell with both hands on the inside of your lunge.

2)Keeping abs tight and hips square, rotate through your torso to bring arms up over the opposite shoulder. Keep arms straight.

3) Bring arms back down to start position. Repeat the rotation and switch sides halfway through.

This is one of my favorite strength training moves! It works your legs, abs, and arms!

Big Sur Half Marathon Elites

This is what professional runners look like (i.e. awesome). I noticed how serious half-marathoners have more muscle than marathon runners. Some qualified for the Olympics! It’s kind of cool to think that you ran the same course that they did. However, please do not feel discouraged if you run, train, diet and don’t look like they do…it’s not your job and there’s something out there your body and mind are more naturally inclined to do.

A morning yoga sequence to ease back tension…

My back aches and is tight right after getting out of bed, but a few forward bends and cat/cow poses loses everything up. It’s painful at first while my spine decompresses from my tail bone all the way to my neck, but it makes me feel so much better!

5 minutes Shoulders, 5 minutes Abs, 5 minutes Back with plank during “recovery”

I find it hard to fit in strength training with the hours I spend running throughout the week, so I gave my myself a very small, do-able goal: 15 minutes of strength training 3x a week. I KNOW you guys may think this is so little, but honestly it’s the amount that works for me and doesn’t stress me out. Another way I’ve fit strength training into my workouts is by doing quick sets of push-ups and abs right after running. For example today, I ran 8 miles then hit the floor for 24 push-ups and scissor-kicks and crunches until I was sore. It’s not much, but it’s what I can do!

Why I want to do more strength training: To achieve a toned, healthy, energetic look!

Allyson Felix Unstoppable

New bonus workout out on Nike Training App! Do these moves 3x for a 15 minute total body workout.

Favorite Move: Lunge with torso twist

Hardest Move: Single Leg Deadlifts with Single Arm T’s

Reflection: This morning, I finished a 30 minute “Get Strong” workout plus this routine featuring Felix. I need to work on my balance and all this running with little strength training is making me weak! (My inner thighs are getting dimply when I sit Indian-style! AHh!)

Goal: 3 strength training sessions a week, even if it’s just a 15 minute “Get Focused” workout. Also, think of more strength training methods I actually like and will stick with.

Let’s work-out together!

~Geri

PS: The feeling of being sore motivates me to do more strength workouts. After some ab work yesterday, my obliques are sore. That’s right! There are muscles underneath my/your love handles so make them sweat!

This morning, I tried inverted yoga poses for the first time! Okay, I’ve done hand stands and head stands before…but not as part of a yoga sequence. However, I’ve never tried a shoulder stand before! And omgosh, I did not remember plough pose to hurt so much! My back flexibility needs some major work.

The Poses

Gaiam, Rodney Yee’s Intermediate Yoga: Sun Salutations, inverted poses, backbends, headstands, shoulderstands, relaxation

Mentally

Nervous: It’s been a while since I’ve done head or hand stands. At first, I held back and didn’t kick up hard or high enough. However, just trusting myself and testing my balance gave me the motivation to kick up!
Humbled: I realized how limited my range of motion is and want to continue to expand my reach and flexibility.
Patient: Learning new moves can be frustrating at first because you are trying to do perform while watching. I need to remember that exercise and yoga is a learning activity needed practice and time. It’ll be worth it!
Determined: I want to be more flexible and build shoulder strength! My goal is to be able to do plough pose without pain in my neck and to hold a hand stand for longer.

Physically

My neck hurts from plough pose…
Worked my middle back, a tricky place to get to.
Realized I need to work on my balance.

Yayy I tried something new =)

Something I have to remember. You are unique, physically and mentally. We all have things we are good at, personality quirks, and flaws. Some people may take longer to get to their goals, but they will learn different lessons along the way. Try not to compare yourself so much to your classmates, friends, competitors (or other people on tumblr) because their success has no impact on what you can achieve.

So relax, be happy, give thanks.