Cross Training

Greetings,

            I hope everyone is enjoying a beautiful week. I was thinking about workouts today and how sometimes running gets old. If you are ever bored or injured it is a good idea to “cross train”. Cross training is just doing some alternative exercises that work other muscles while at the same time keeping muscles in shape.

There are many things that you can do to cross train. My top two favorite cross training activities are biking and swimming.

Biking is my favorite cross training activity. Biking can be done two ways.  You can either ride on a real bike on a beautiful trail or go to the gym and use a stationary bike.

If you want to go on an actual bike ride, plan do about double your usual running distance or more to get a good workout. You can experiment with hills, speed, and trail conditions and even just a new environment.

If you want to do a workout on a stationary bike, the options are endless. You can experiment with resistance, time and speed. The possibilities are endless. Just remember to keep your heart rate up and get a good workout.

If you cross training by swimming, your workout depends on your comfort level in the water. When I swim for cross training, I usually start by swimming three laps down and back in the pool. Then I take a few quick breather and “run” down and back four times. I then repeat this workout and end it with a casual swim to cool down. This workout may seem short but trust me it takes effort.

Sometimes working out makes you sore and want to quit. Just remember that the more you work out the more you will love it and crave it. Just like Jesus. Keep Jesus in your life. Even if it is just a few minutes a day, take a few minutes and thank him for everything. Psalm 106:1,“Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever”.

Have a wonderful week,

Jamie

The Winning Stretch

Hello,

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week! I was recently thinking about being sore after a workout. I am a college student; I admit that I don’t work out every day like I should. Once I do workout I am usually sore the next day. There is only one way to effectively prevent soreness: stretching.

I have a lot of favorite stretches, but these are my favorites:

1.     Figure-Four: This stretch is probably one of the most well-known running stretches. To do this stretch sit on the ground and extend one leg out forward and bend the other one leg in towards the groin.

It should essentially look like a four. Next slowly try to grab your ankle. The common misconception is to grab your foot, but grabbing your ankle reduces the pulling and straining of muscles. This stretch stretches your calf muscles and just feels great.

Repeat with the other side.

2.     Calf Stretch: This is a very easy stretch to do.  Basically all you need is a wall. What you need to do is face the wall and put the bottom of your foot against the wall. Your foot and leg should form a “V” with your ankle being the vertex. This again stretches your calf muscles.

Repeat with the other foot.

3.     Hip Swings: This stretch should be done both before and after a run. What you need to do is find a pole, wall or anything that you can keep your balance on. Stand facing the pole, shoulder length apart and simply swing your leg back and forth. You can face the wall for some or standing perpendicular to the wall. This stretch loosens up your hips and gets you ready for a great workout! For a more detailed description on hip swings see the video http://bit.ly/1ab7fq0.

Repeat with the other side.

4.     ABC’s: This is my absolute favorite stretches. Since I have previously had ankle problems, these saved my life. This stretch just requires you to sit on the ground with one leg out and the other bent held up against the chest. Then with the leg up against the chest, use that ankle and simply “write” all of the letters of the alphabet with your foot. This loosens up your ankle and again reduces injury.

As before, repeat with the other side.

Many people overlook stretching and feel like they don’t have enough time or they are strong enough to go without it. This is surprisingly very similar to Jesus. People believe that they don’t need any help and can do it well all by themselves. It may work for a while but sooner or later it will leave them broken. Just remember Psalm 32:8, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”

Have a great week.

Jamie

OMG shoes

Greetings,

The week is over, finally. This week I wanted to take time to discuss my favorite topic about running…shoes. I love shoes. I love heels, flats, boots and especially running shoes.

Out of all of the running gear you can own, shoes are the most important. For good running shoes you need to have ones that have good support, are comfortable and most importantly fit your feet. In my running experience I have used many different brands of shoes. But my two favorites are Asics and Saucony. They all have good and bad qualities but they are both fantastic shoes.

Asics: Asics shoes are wonderful. They come in bright colors, are comfortable, and make running more fun. Asics are known for many qualities. But their most well-known trait is balance.

Some shoes can make you unbalanced and mess up your form. With added balance support, your form is improved and you will probably have a lower chance of injury. The only caveat is that most Asics shoes “run” over $100. At first glance this could seem like an overpriced pair of shoes.  But to be honest they are worth the money.

Saucony: Saucony is my all-time favorite shoe brand. My favorite thing about this brand is the fact that they fit my feet. I have tiny feet, very tiny feet. Sometimes it’s hard to find shoes that fit correctly. But I always have good luck with Saucony running shoes.

 I also love them because they are reasonably priced. Some of them are very expensive, just like Asics, but a lot of them are reasonably priced. The “all-purpose running shoes” are priced from $55-$150.

One thing my coaches drilled into my mind was when to get new shoes. Most people get new shoes when they just start to look dirty. That is not always the case. With running shoes it is important to change shoes every season (winter, fall…etc.) in order to avoid shin splints. 

This week I chose to discuss Psalm 105: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”. This is one of my all-time favorite verses because it perfectly describes my view on running shoes as well as Jesus Christ.  Running shoes are the most important part in a running sport.  Without them, you would be in pain and not a cheerful person. The same goes for Jesus! Without him in your life, you will be lost.

Shoes are the window to a girl’s soul and the same goes for Jesus. Without him you will not know your potential and won’t know how blessed you actually are.

Have a great week,

Jamie

Shunga Trail

Salutations,

            Kansas sure has been blessing us with some beautiful yet confusing weather. Some days it is cold and rainy and others it is sunny and beautiful. No matter what the weather it is always a beautiful day for a run!

I recently got a request from a fellow blogger to discuss different running trails and routes around the lovely city of Topeka.

I haven’t explored much of Topeka for trails but the trail that I have explored is the “Shunga Trail”.

I adore the “Shunga Trail” for several reasons…

1     1. It is close to the Washburn campus. One habit that people frequently get into is driving somewhere to run. In some situations, it is necessary but I absolutely love doing something that is close by and absolutely free.

With a trail so close you can either do an easy warm up jog or walk on your way to the trail. Once you get to the trail you can stretch and begin your relaxing trail run.

2  2. It is aesthetically appealing. Some running trails may be “run down”, covered in trash and just down right ugly. The “Shunga Trail” is just the opposite.  It is cute, quaint and goes through a little park.  One can’t help but relax while they run on this trail.

3  3.  It shows you how far you have run. Some running trails might have mile markers placed on the side. One unique trait of this trail is that there are red stripes painted on the trail. The red stripes indicate a fourth of a mile. For example, if a runner passes four red stripes, they have run a mile.

One important thing to always remember while running is being safe.  Running in groups of two or more is safer than running solo.  

At times it may be inconvenient but it is crucial.  Some people may not be social runners but if you run on a trail it is always in your best interest to run with a buddy or two. Having a buddy will even make the run more exciting.

Running with a buddy is important. But even if you can’t find someone to run with just remember that Jesus is always with you. The Bible states “Be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of age” Matthew 28:20. God is always there for you, no matter if you are on a run, at the grocery store, or even in class. He is and will always be there with you until the end of time.

God Bless!

Jamie

Light Post Run

Hello friends,

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week. The weather is getting colder and I am more excited than ever. Fall makes me want to combine my exercise with nature.  Naturally, I have a really “fun” workout to get you out in the fall weather and enjoy the quickly changing leaves.

This workout I call the “Light Post Run”. This workout can be done anywhere but I am customizing it to be done on the block surrounding Washburn University.  The map of the route is posted below. 

The main point of this workout is to improve sprinting abilities.

I went out and counted the number of street lamps on SW Washburn Avenue. After a peaceful run I learned that there were about 40 street lamps on each street.

For this workout, you vary your speed based on the amount of street lamps passed. So when I tested out this workout I sprinted and passed five lamp posts. After I passed five, I proceeded to jog at a slower place and passed three more. Then I started up again sprinting and completed that side with eight repetitions.

After I completed that one side I started on the SW 21^st Street side and then turned on MacVicar Avenue. Normally I would have completed the whole block by doing the same thing on SW 17^th St but since they are redoing the street I thought doing one less side would encourage me to do the sprinting portion at a faster rate.

This run can be done down any street with light posts.  Just pick how many light posts you want to sprint past, then how many you want to jog past.  While you run, enjoy the changing leaves.  

Finally, to celebrate a good workout, find a big leaf pile to jump in and celebrate a job well done.   Workouts are hard, but they should also be fun.

Today I picked the Bible verse: “He will order his angels to protect you wherever you go.”   Psalm 91:11. While running anywhere one needs to be aware of their surroundings. It doesn’t matter if it is on a sidewalk, a trail or in the woods. But no matter where you are exercising or just living, remember that God and Jesus are protecting you.

God Bless,

Jamie

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