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Well, two weeks recovery from a small surgical procedure can do “wonders” for your fitness.
Like, I wonder what happened to it!
Anyhow, so David is in town and we decide to go for a short run. I notice immediately that my heart rate jumps to zone 3 only a 1/4 mile into the run! Well, we run for about a mile and a half at about a 11 min. pace to the high school where there is a running track. David wants to time his best mile and I want to try some 100 meter sprints I read about.
Sprinting is one of the most explosive and amazing workouts you could ever do. It is actually gaining in popularity right now amont celebrities who work out to stay in fit shape. The specific body parts sprinting targets include the butt, hips, hamstrings, quads, calves and abs.
An even greater benefit to sprinting is that it is great for fat loss and increases your metabolic rate for several days! High intensity sprinting will burn calories long after your workout is complete. Sprinting is one of the best ways to firm your legs and butt without incorporating resistance training!
So, before you start to sprint you want to get your legs and your body warmed up. Jog a lap around the track or jump rope to get some blood flowing. After you are warmed up, you want to make sure you strech really well; stretch your quads and hamstrings before sprinting. Those are the most likely to be injured muscles during sprinting!
Now, it is time to sprint!
For the first few sessions, I would recommend sprinting at 50 percent speed until you feel comfortable and until you’ve developed enough stanima to complete the workout at full speed. A typical sprinting workout that an average person should be able to do is six to eight 100-meter sprints. Each 100-meter sprint can be done at any speed but to recieve the optimal results of the training you would have to sprint at full speed.
After each 100-meter sprint you should walk back to the line slowly. Your rest between each sprint is your walk back to the 100-meter line. When you get to the line, if you still feel fatigued, then rest a minute or two longer before starting again. For those of you who train with a heart rate monitor and know your aerobic base, be sure you recover to your base or within +/- 5 beats.
While you are sprinting, you will also be working out your abs! Remember every time you lift your leg in the air when you’re sprinting you war working your abs. A world-class sprinter covers a 100 meters in about 44 to 47 steps. The average person will probably cover that distance in 57 to 60 steps. So think about this, you’ve worked your abs in one 100-meter sprint 57 to 60 times! Just think about how many sit-ups you did at your last workout!
You should be able to finish this workout in about 25 to 30 minutes. It is important that when you are done to warm down to prevent crampsand to break up the lactic acid in your legs. I would recommend a nice stroll around the track a few times.
Good luck!
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I have been reading a book entitled Ultra Metabolism written by Mark Hyman, M.D. This book contains a wealth of information on eating healthy and the effects of not doing so. A lot of the information I will be posting here will have many references to this book. I would recommend checking it out!
The digestion, absorption and metabolism of fructose differ in significant ways from those of regular sugar. Table sugar, as we know it, is a combination of glucose and fructose and is known as sucrose. Glucose is the basic sugar the body uses for energy and metabolism – one of the key building blocks of all carbohydrates and often found as part of other slowly absorbed sugars found in beans and whole grains.
Fructose is also one of those building blocks, found in nature mostly in fruit, where it is packaged along with fiber and an abundance of protective nutrients. But fructose does not stimulate insulin secretion and the consequent increase in leptin, a hormone produced by fat cells that tells your brain that you are full, which reduces appetite. This isn’t such a problem when you eat fructose the way nature intended it to be eaten, in the form of fruit. The is because when you eat fruit, the amount of fructose you ingest is significantly lower than in sweetened beverages, and the metabolic effects of it ar different because the increased intake of fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and antioxidants helps slow absorption and improve metabolism.
However, when fructose is processed into high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), it is absorbed more quickly than regular sugar and enters your cells without any help. It doesn’t require the help of insulin the way glucose does. Once inside the cell, it becomes an uncontrolled source of carbon (acetyl-CoA) that is then made into cholesterol and triglycerides. Basically, that means that eating HFCS makes your cholesterol level shoot straight up and causes problems with your liver that slow down your metabolism even more. It actually produces a fatty liver and is the major cause of abnormal liver function tests in this country. Also, HFCS is probably the biggest reason for the increase in cholesterol levels we have seen in our society over the last twenty years. Try cutting out HFCS, and see how fast your triglycerides and cholesterol drop!
In fact, none of the normal controls on appetite is triggered when you eat foods or beverages containing high-fructose corn syrup. When you metabolize glucose, your brain normally gets the message that you are full. That doesn’t happen as readily with HFCS. You just stay hungry and keep eating more sugar or HFCS, which continues to fuel this cycle. This has been shown to lead to increased appetite, calorie intake and weight gain as well as high cholesterol and high blood sugar.
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So, I’m at Walgreens doing a little shopping. I’m really thirsty and have a coupon for the Arizona tea drinks…those green cans/bottles of green tea flavored with honey. Well, they have a new bottle for Pomegranate Green Tea and I know that pomegranate has a plethora of health benefits, so as an alternative to just water this time, I pick up a bottle.
Now, Pomegranates are literally packed with antioxidants, vitamins, folic acid and other healthy stuff. You mix that with the benefits of Green Tea and you should have a great healthy alternative to water…
…then I read the ingredients…the second ingredient is High Fructose Corn Syrup!!! What is so bad about that you ask? Well…that inspired me to create another post explaining what HFCS is and the dangers of it. Stay tuned…
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…I went to play golf this morning. I know it isn’t much excersize, but being that is is about 249 degrees outside, I’m sure I sweated off a few pounds!
So, front nine…was doing fine…right along where I usually am. Hole 9, 10 and 11 brings the same results. Things are really looking up for me to beat Dan this time. Then the par 5 hole 12 comes up and my drive was fantastic!!! second shot has a perfect pathway to the green over some trees (I’ve hit this shot perfectly before)…not so much this time!
I dug a nice hole in the ground with my club on the way to the ball, and that is where if fell apart. The rest of the day was full of words that should not be repeated around children or the elderly.
In any case, I still love the game and will go out again as soon as I can!
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Crazy day…
Put aside all of your thoughts on the quirkyness that became Michael Jackson and when you say his name, many thoughts probably come to mind…
…moonwalk…thriller…beat it…billie jean…white glove…pop icon…
Michael Jackson died today at the age of 50! Wow…50! That is young! I think it would be safe to say that he “lived” an interesting life.
Lived….Died….
Well, we are all going to die. So the question becomes, “Have you lived?”
I mean really lived? Most people struggle to “exist” from day to day, never truly realizing their dreams…never stepping outside of the box and doing things that would bring richness and fulfillment to their lives. Too many just survive and settle for a fraction of what life has to offer.
Do you want to grow old saying, “I wish I woulda’…?”
Think about that…every breath is one less to your last. You only get one bite of this apple and then it’s gone!
Take full advantage of every minute and truly “live!”
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…and we’re off!
So, as my “about” page indicates, I started my health and weight loss journey about 9 months ago! That means I have a lot of information to post and to catch up on.
Why am I doing this?
Because I can! To be perfectly honest, I absolutely love helping others! I hope to help someone else by passing on things that I have learned, struggles I have encountered and bringing forth new information.
I encourage comments and conversations. We all learn and grow when we converse and discuss ideas and differences!
So, with all that said, this is it for now. It’s pretty late and there are 4 kids here!
…see ya later…
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