Cross-training: Variety is the Spice of Sport
August 22, 2009
Filed under Cross Training, Running, Triathlon
by Liz ColvilleOne sport may not be enough anymore. As the triathlon grows in popularity and professionals from every sport share the secret of their success, athletes at all levels are learning the value of cross-training.
Could Bikram yoga make you a better tennis player, as Andy Murray has claimed? Can running make you a better soccer player, as running-shoe giant Asics asserts in its magazine ads? While the latter may sound like a marketing ploy, Andy Murray was able to defeat Roger Federer and credits yoga for the win. Cross-training has grabbed a share of the exercise market for decades, but today, its value is more widely appreciated. Cross-training is also becoming more creative as new and lesser-known sports make their way into the mainstream.
Source: BBC Sport
As Lucia Cockcroft writes in the Guardian, working at more than one sport is beneficial to anyone, whether you’re Maria Sharapova or a 10K runner. Cross-training will “stop boredom setting in, a common problem when you're over-familiar with the gym treadmill.” Varying your athletic routine exercises more muscle groups, increases flexibility and reduces the chance of injury.
Source: The Guardian
According to the Los Angeles Times, the triathlon is booming. Even the toughest form of competition, the Ironman, is receiving record numbers and filling up quickly. Membership to USA Triathlon increased from slightly over 20,000 in 2000 to more than 80,000 in 2006. The pleasure of the triathlon, many converts explain, is simply the opportunity to keep one’s routine both challenging and unpredictable. While each sport presents its own unique hurdles, many see cycling as an antidote to running, and swimming as an antidote to both. A triathlete can easily get away with saying, “I don’t feel like running today,” and still improve his fitness level by riding a bike or swimming.
Source: The Los Angeles Times
Similarly, avid marathoners and road runners needn’t feel they’re slacking off by practicing yoga once a week. Runners tend to neglect their core, a surprisingly dense area of back, shoulder and stomach muscles. Yoga teaches better posture and improves flexibility. Surprisingly, runners also generally do not pay sufficient attention to their feet, other than enclosing them in fancy shoes. Yoga “teaches that the foot should be engaged and considered as a weight-bearing tripod,” according to Run The Planet, a running resource created by The North Face.
Source: Run The Planet
The growing number of shows on cable television that share secrets from the pros are making amateur athletes aware of the advantages of taking on new sports. Discovery’s FitTV offers in-depth coverage of professional athletes’ lives, including their training regimens. The channel’s “Art of the Athlete” explores the lives of icons like Kristi Yamaguchi and Dominique Dawes. “Insider Training,” hosted by beach volleyball champion Gabrielle Reece, “goes to the places the crowds never see—the training pool, weight room, yoga studio or secluded beach—and reveals how world-class athletes train for perfection.”
Source: FitTV

8 Fun Family Festivals
July 14, 2009
Filed under Childrens Health, Outdoors Activities
Support the local community and have fun with the whole family. Here are eight festivals across the U.S. that help you fit in your weekend workout and offer tons of activities and events for the rest of the gang.
Maine Lobster Festival
Rockland, Maine
The lobster crate race across the Atlantic’s icy waters has a more refreshing finish but you can also participate in the Sunday morning 10K or the kids’ one-mile fun run. Other events include cooking contests, arts and crafts, a parade, musical entertainment and all the lobster you can eat.
Georgia Peach Festival
Byron, Georgia
Honor Georgia’s peach growers at the Georgia Peach Festival. Sign up for the 5K road race then indulge in the world’s largest peach cobbler, with a side of peach ice cream of course. Weekend events include free concerts and a fireworks show.
Tawas Bay Triathlon Festival
Tawas Cities, Michigan
Celebrate the end of race season with a half-iron distance triathlon, then relax at the post-race beach party. Enjoy music, movies, Marshmallow roasting, beach volleyball and more.
Camp at the Oscoda KOA Family Campground
Hanover Harvest Festival
Hanover, Minnesota
Start your day with a 5K and a kids’ fun run. Want to be the next Hanover music sensation? Sign up for Hanover Idol. There are also games, contests, music, dancing, a kids’ activity park, a silent auction and a farmer’s market.
Camp at the Minneapolis Northwest KOA
New Belgium FIBArk Whitewater Festival
Salida, Colorado
Kayak clinics and competitions abound but don’t miss the skateboarding and mountain biking competitions, the hooligan race, the pancake breakfast, the carnival, the farmer’s market or the Boys and Girls Club recycled costume show.
Camp at Arkansas Headwater Recreation Area
Lone Star Triathlon Festival
Moody Gardens, Texas
After your triathlon relax on one of Galveston’s 32 miles of beaches, then explore Moody Gardens’ myriad attractions. Participants and their families can buy all-day passes for only $24–nearly half the regular price.
Camp in Galveston Island State Park
The Coastwise Mile
La Jolla, California
Introduce your children to racing at the Coastwise Mile. With three race categories for kids, and a Mutt Mile, this truly is a family event.
Healdsburg Wine Country Half Marathon
Healdsburg, California
Don’t forget your costume for this Halloween event. Celebrate your finish at the wine and music festival, and cheer for your family in the doggie costume parade and kids’ pumpkin run.
Camp at Liberty Glen on Lake Sonoma











