Swimming – Go Swim Triathlon Skills with Sara McLarty

Sara McLarty is widely recognized as one of the fastest swimmers in triathlon. In GO SWIM TRIATHLON, Sara shares her secrets for working on stroke technique, and for learning open-water skills in the pool.

My First Sprint Triathlon

This is my first sprint triathlon. It took place summer 2006 in Harrison Mills, BC. My time was ok (I think I can do better this year) but I am very proud of crossing the finish line and am thankful for the wonderful experience the TRY-tri gave me.

Advanced Hatha Yoga – MyYogaOnline.com

www.MyYogaOnline.com This intermediate-advanced sequence of yoga asanas is designed to embrace the flow of your breath. Through the exploration of hip openers, backbends and balancing poses, you will invigorate your body and free your soul.

Ashtanga Yoga Flow

Nico Lucesoli – www.MyYogaOnline.com Explore warmth and flow with this vinyasa sequence. Extra connection is offered with the engagement of bandhas (energy locks) in several poses. This shorter flow is also ideal for those introducing themselves to Power and Ashtanga style practices. Visit our site at http and receive a limited time only special of two months for the price of one month. That’s 2 months of unlimited access to all our videos in full screen DVD quality for only .95. For …

The Essential Triathlon Swimming DVD- Preview!

The Essential Triathlon Swimming DVD from www.triswimcoach.com is here! This video features swimming drills in the pool, open water tips and advice, and how to set up a training plan for any length triathlon swim. Check out www.triswimcoach.com for more and to order!
 

 

Beginner Yoga Class Checklist

If you’re new to yoga, you might not know what to expect when you walk in the doors of a beginner’s yoga class for the first time. You might not even know how to start in choosing a beginner’s yoga class to attend. Here’s a “how to” checklist.

1. Nail down your goals and find the right style for you.

Everyone comes to yoga for different reasons. Sometimes these differences are slight, other times they’re vast.

For instance, are you interested in an intense physical workout to throbbing music, or are you on more of a spiritual path towards (quiet) enlightenment? Are you attracted to yoga because of its health benefits, and if so, is it physical or emotional health you are most interested in?

Are you interested in the philosophy and rich traditions of yoga, or are you on the other extreme and wouldn’t be caught dead reciting a mantra?

Whatever your personal needs and proclivities, there’s a yoga for you. If several flavors of yoga are offered in your area, do your research online or in the library to find which style would be the best fit for you.

Once you know what it is you’re looking for, you can set some goals. Call the teacher of the beginner yoga class you’re considering and ask if your expectations are reasonable.

2. Choose a drop-in or series beginner yoga class

A drop-in yoga class allows you to pay-as-you go. There will likely be some turnover week to week as to which students show up for class. The teacher is likely to keep this class on the mild side, because students will be at such differing ability levels.

This may be just what you’re looking for if you just want a taste of yoga but don’t want to buy an expensive package of classes. This may also be a good choice for you if your schedule won’t allow you to attend a class every week. Keep in mind there are significant drawbacks.

One, because the class is ongoing, you will never get to start at “the beginning.” You may be a little lost at first while you learn the culture of the class. Also, drop-in beginner yoga classes tend to be repetitive.

A series yoga class is different in that you buy a set number of classes and each class builds on what you learned in the previous week. A good series class is repetitive only in that there is some review each time, but then the teacher introduces new material.

You can learn much more much faster in a series class, but again there are drawbacks. First, if you miss a class it may be difficult to make up the material that you missed. Also, you will be asked to pay for the whole series up front.

Take a look at your level of commitment, your schedule and your budget and decide whether a drop-in or a series class is better for your needs.

3. Make sure the teacher has adequate training.

Yoga is now a significant contributor to sports injuries. This can be attributed to two things: students pushing themselves too hard for perfection and inadequate training of instructors.

Don’t be shy in asking your potential instructor about their background. There are certifications for teaching “gym yoga” that an instructor can get in a long weekend. A three day training is just enough to make someone dangerous. That’s not to say that some of the people who start with such certifications don’t turn out to be excellent instructors by dedicating themselves to practice and increasing their knowledge over the course of months and years.

There are of course people who teach yoga with no formal certification whatsoever, and though it might be difficult for these teachers to get liability insurance, there’s nothing illegal about it. Keep in mind that yoga is a spiritual tradition thousands of years old, and the idea of giving someone a certificate for learning a few poses and breathing techniques would have been an odd idea indeed even seventy years ago. It is one thing to wake up one morning and decide to teach yoga with little to no experience. It is quite another to teach after living for years under the tutelage of a master yogi who just doesn’t believe in certificates.

As a general rule, seek out yoga teachers with at the very least 200 hours of training. In the United States there’s an organization called the Yoga Alliance that offers a registry of teachers who attended training programs that meet certain standards. Someone can have the Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) designation from the Yoga Alliance and still be a crummy teacher, but usually RYTs are a safe bet.

4. Look into additional costs of the yoga class.

Sometimes there are additional costs involved in taking a beginner’s yoga class besides the registration fee. You may need to buy your own yoga mat, strap, or other props, for instance. In some classes you may need to buy certain books for study or even special clothing of a certain color.

It is important to know what the related costs are up front so that you and your bank account won’t encounter any surprises later on.

I hope this checklist will help you find a beginner’s yoga class that’s right for you.

 

How To Do Yoga Poses For Beginners : How To Do A Seated Forward Fold Yoga Pose

Learn how to do a Seated Forward FoldPose in this free online video on yoga exercises for beginners. Expert: Samantha Raphael Bio: Samantha Raphael, RYT is certified through the Lotus Yoga Teacher's Association, a Himalayan Institute affiliate and registered with the International Yoga Alliance. Filmmaker: Samantha Raphael
 

 

 

Top Tips For Beginner Triathlon

A triathlon is an athletic competition including three events i.e. cycling, swimming and running. An athlete has to participate in all the three events and the best performer in all the three events is considered the winner of the triathlon. It is natural for the beginners of the triathlon to have several queries in their mind such as how to succeed in the game?

Here are some important tips which must be followed by the beginners of triathlon:

- The beginner must start by participating in short races first which are termed as sprint triathlon. After getting used to sprint triathlon, one can go for triathlon.

- The beginners must join a triathlon training program and there are several online sources which give exclusive triathlon training to the beginners.

- It is advisable for the beginners to take swimming coaching from an expert and experienced triathlete so as to achieve excellent swimming skills required for triathlon.

- Among the three areas of cycling, swimming and racing, beginners must practice their strong areas first so as to make them stronger and then start working on their weak area so as to achieve required expertise before the D-day of triathlon.

- Beginners should have patience and should not get tense by rigorous training sessions of triathlon training programs.

- The beginners must practice the transitions i.e. end up with one event and conveniently transit to participate in other triathlon event. The beginners should avoid hastening up while transitions and should keep the gears (such as cycling equipments and swim suits) of three events ready before the triathlon starts.

- The beginners must carefully listen to all the pre-race instructions and should not feel embarrassed in asking questions such as commencement area of bike race.

- The beginners should participate in the triathlon with passion as being passionate is the perfect way to achieve confidence while competing. The beginner should keep the performance pressure away and should remember that this is their first race.

Beginners should avoid flaunting off the attitude before their friends and familiars that they can win it as it can increase expectation of the closed ones and defeat in the triathlon can make them disappointed. They instead should start slowly with the training of a triathlon and then gradually built up the speed of training. The beginners must give special attention to doing stretch up exercises as stretch up can increase flexibility of the body which can help in swimming events.

Beginners should stop workout if they feel extensively tired as exercising in such a way can cause internal injury in the body. Beginners should consistently follow the daily workout schedule so as to build up stamina which is the premium requirement for triathlon. Most beginners need to take heart rate training depending on age and the target heart rate required for triathlon. And they need to plan a healthy diet, low in sugar and starch and rich in proteins and carbohydrates so as to increase body energy without increasing extra fat.

For the D-day of triathlon, beginners should also plan race day diet and strategic drinking method. On the D-day of triathlon, beginners also need to use lubricating oil such as baby oil so as to fit quickly in the wet swim suit. In order to get restroom on the bike, the tri-athlete can use bushes or port-a-potties. The beginners in the triathlon must take professional guidance from previous winners of triathlon and should get solutions to questions such as distance of triathlon race, drafting in triathlon and how to drink in a paper cup while racing.

 

Hatha Yoga 1 -Easy Ground Work – Full 43 Minute Class

www.yogayak.com for more classes. This mat based Hatha Yoga flow is gentle and perfect for a “lazy” yoga day. Diane leads you through a gently active sequence that awakens your body without any strain, leaving you calm and refreshed. Duration 43 min Teacher: Diane Jacobs

Yoga

www.MyYogaOnline.com The emphasis in this hatha class is on asanas involving twisting postures and movements. Twists release tension in the spine and increase shoulder and hip mobility, thus help to create structural balance. Twists stretch and open back muscles, and in this way are great for relieving backaches. Twists rejuvenate and revitalize internal organs and glands, keeping these important systems of the body healthy and balanced. Yoga Postures include Navasana , Sukhasana. Visit our …