Summer Bucket List

Did you make up a summer "bucket list" this year?

I always try to put together a list of fitness activities I'd like to do for summer.  Ride certain trails, swim in local open watering holes, do a fitness activity, then attend a local farmer's market . . . you get the idea.
This post from the Iowa Girl Eats blog reminded me of how it's good to plan out some activities for your summer.  Officially, there's about a month left of summer.  So get your list out and finish it up!

With that being said, I'm going to take a break from posting as I try to finish some of my summer "bucket list" activities.

Tip: Events Don't Do Refunds

If you are relatively new to running events, there's a dirty little secret about registration fees.
Most events will NOT refund your money.  For any reason!  Just accept this fact and move on.

Many of us are used to being able to get some or all of our money back when we decide not participate in something for a good reason.  However, this is not true of the fitness event world. There are just too many people who get injured, have conflicts arise or for whatever reason cannot fill the void of the entry they committed to when they hit the "submit" button to register for an event on its website.

This post I recently read on the Jess Runs blog made me think this might be a helpful fact to share with others.

Generally speaking, your only options are to "grin, bear it and move on" or find a replacement athlete through which you can provide your entry.  Many events allow this practice, but it's probably good to double check with race organizers.

Breakfast Anyone?

Breakfast anyone? 

There is no doubt it is the most important meal of the day.  Then why do I always take it for granted?  And if I'm taking it for granted, chances are others do too.

Check out this post from the Runner Dude's blog.  It spells out five reasons why breakfast is not only important to nutrition in your healthy fitness endeavors, but a help toward keeping the weight off you don't want.

I am reminded all to often by one of my faithful training buddies how I don't take time to feed my body.  It's true . . . we put our bodies through tremendous stress thinking that "burning it all off" is a good thing.  Well, our bodies need replenishment of the vital things that make us tick.  Otherwise, we start burning off muscle we don't want to lose.

10 Points To Better Fitness Nutrition

It's always tough to know the best diet practices to co-mingle with your fitness activities.
The bottom line is we're all a little different and what works for you may not work for others and vice versa.  However, the best way to truly assess what the best practices are for you is to experiment.  Try different dietary strategies well in advance of your event to determine the best plan.

This post from Jesse Kropelnicki on www.active.com will help give you some ideas on where to start.  Ultimately, practice and experimentation will determine the best practices for you.  Don't be afraid to give different things a try.

Hand Entry On Swim Stroke

Where should your hand enter the water on your swim stroke?

Read this post from the Everymom to Trimom blog to learn how hand entry is an important part of your stroke.  We tend to forget that it's important where your hand starts the stroke . . . that's where hand entry becomes critical to this equation.

The post features a video of Janet Evans, her sweet stroke and why it helps make her such a great swimmer.

Fast Running Workouts

Folks are always looking for new workouts in an effort to make themselves faster runners.This post from Gale Bernhardt at www.active.com features some running workouts from some of the world's fastest triathletes.

There is no doubt these workouts will help make you a faster runner.

Pay Attention When Running To Music

I almost caused a bad accident recently.

Running on a beautiful morning, I was listening to my music as I ran.  Tuning everything else out as I ofent do, I forgot how busy the intersection was that I was navigating.  As I ran across the entrance to an interstate, a group of cars approached me from my right.  And they weren't slowing down!

I was able to reverse course just in time, but it illustrates the point of taking care to pay attention to your surroundings when we lose ourselves on a run.  This article posted by Christine Luff on http://www.about.com/ reminded me of this valuable lesson, particularly when we're listening to music with earbuds.

New Opinions On Minimalist Running

Personally, I have no interest in the "minimalist" or barefoot running movement.

While I don't plan to "black bottom" my feet any time soon, I know it has a lot of people talking in the running community.  My take is that it's too dangerous to run without that support given the impact running has on your lower extremities.  Shoe companies have invested a LOT of money in engineering shoes that help you prevent injuries.

Additionally, it's a personal safety issue for me.  Why do I want to risk cutting and/or infecting my feet? 

Whether you are for or against the idea of barefoot running, this story from FOX 6 News in Milwaukee offered some interesting opinions I thought I would share.