June 30, 2009 / by srhernan / 1 Comment / Filed under Fitness & Training
If you are brave enough to read or watch the news, you’ll notice two things:
1) Most of it is negative.
2) Most of it focuses on condoning or even glorifying the behavior of “celebrities” who often make very poor choices with regards to their health, their relationships, and their lifestyles.
We’re going to take a different approach with this post. As we close out the month of June, we’re going to commemorate Men’s Health Month by highlighting a few key individuals who – by their choices and actions – have raised the bar for the rest of us when it comes to fitness and health.
Mark Sisson (age 55)
Former competitive runner and triathlete, Mark Sisson has made a career out of unlocking the secrets of achieving good health in a safe and natural way. His website, Mark’s Daily Apple, is one of the best online resources of key information on health, wellness, anti-aging, safe weight-loss, nutrition, and supplementation. Mark’s health philosophy is based on an understanding of evolutionary science, and he provides readers and site visitors with invaluable insight and information on how to optimize overall human health.
Be sure to check out: The Primal Blueprint
Mack Newton (age 62)
8th degree black belt and a former Head Coach of the USA Taekwon-Do Team (1981-84), Mack Newton is a case study in achievement and fitness as well as in managing adversity. Two hip replacements from Vietnam-related injuries haven’t kept him from teaching and competing in Taekwon-Do – nor have they kept Mack from becoming one of the most sought-after fitness and conditioning specialists among professional athletes worldwide. In addition to his successful Taekwon-Do and fitness ventures, Mack is a celebrated author and motivational speaker who hosts “The Mack Newton Power Hour,” a weekly radio show on fitness and peak performance.
Be sure to check out: The 3-2 Eating Plan and A Path To Power: A Master’s Guide to Conquering Crisis
Arthur DeVany (age 71)
Scientist, athlete, and recognized expert on evolutionary fitness, Art DeVany personifies peak human health and conditioning. DeVany has consolidated a lifetime of science-based exercise and nutrition wisdom into his weblog which is well worth the subscription rate. DeVany expertly debunks the fitness fads and junk science still being touted today, and he outlines the key diet and exercise patterns that maximize human health.
Be sure to check out: Arthur DeVany Evolutionary Fitness Seminar
Jack LaLanne (age 94)
The “godfather of fitness,” Jack LaLanne continues to defy the aging process and is still going strong well into his ninth decade. Jack’s daily workout consists of strength training and swimming, and he follows the food mantra “If man made it, don’t eat it.” Nostalgia seekers who download and view old episodes from “The Jack LaLanne Show” are often astonished to realize that Jack was spot on about proper diet and exercise back in the 1950′s. And while there are some in the fitness world who still insist on other methodologies, it’s awfully hard to argue with Jack’s results!
Be sure to check out: Any of Jack’s Shows on YouTube
June 30, 2009 / by Steve / 3 Comments / Filed under Tips & Techniques
When I first started going out to the lake to swim, I was always paranoid about what to do with my valuables. In fact, I would have recurring nightmares where I would visualize packs of Chicago hoodlums gleefully rifling through my possessions while I watched helplessly from 1/4 mile off shore.
These days, I’m less concerned about this since I’ve developed a system for managing this risk. Here’s what I do:
1) I only bring out items that I need – most of which I will be wearing anyway (i.e. wetsuit, goggles, swim cap).
This means that I leave many items such as my wallet, cell phone, and extra keys at home. I’ll lock up my bike and take the bike lock key with me in a zip lock bag. However, I don’t leave a bunch of stuff out in the open for strangers to peruse. If someone wants to pilfer my ratty old swim towel, I figure they must really be desperate – so I view it as an act of charity on my part.
2) If I have to bring out valuables, I make it as difficult as possible to purloin them.
If I decide to bring out a cell phone or house keys, I’ll stash them in one of the other swimmer’s vehicles or I’ll find a way to secure them on site. One of my favorite gadgets for this is a PacSafe travel pouch used by backpackers and travelers. It’s “slash proof,” and you can lock it up to your bike or to a fixed object.
3) I always try to swim in an organized group setting so there are people around to keep watch.
This is one of the side benefits to running and organizing a swim group. Having more people out at the swim site raises the overall level of monitoring and supervision. Not only does this keep you safer in the water, but it also ensures that more people will be watching over everyone’s stuff.
June 29, 2009 / by srhernan / 2 Comments / Filed under Fitness & Training
PaNu, a new blog on paleo nutrition, has a great post on how to keep to a primal eating regimen without breaking the bank. Since it’s so concise, I’ve copied it here in its entirety:
1) Never eat anything that comes in a box (pasta, cereal, crackers…) Stick to the peripheral aisles at the grocery store.
2) Drink only whole milk, water or iced tea – you will get good nutrition from the milk, and water and homemade iced tea are dirt cheap or free. People spend a fortune on liquid food that is just High Fructose Corn Syrup and water. I drink only water at restaurants – I spend my money on the food instead.
3) Eat salads and veggies that you like.
4) Eggs are the perfect food and cheap protein- they contain amino acids in the exact ratio as found in your body (of course they do, they are meant to grow a bird fetus from scratch!) I eat 4-6 eggs a day at a cost of no more than a dollar a day.
4) If you can’t afford high quality grass-fed beef or bison, buy shoulder cuts and pork butts and smoke them or slow cook them. Take some fish oil to balance the high Omega 6′s with Omega 3′s.
5) Buy whole chickens and grill them – be sure to eat the skin, that’s the best part. Or go to Sam’s club for the 3 lb already roasted chicken – feeds a family of four for $5.
6) Drink half and half or whole cream for breakfast or add it to your coffee. Cheap, healthy (low insulin response) and fills you up.
While I would go easier on the diary products, these are pretty solid recommendations.
June 28, 2009 / by srhernan / Make A Comment / Filed under Swim Reports
My nice little chest cold turned into full-on bronchitis later on in the week, so I decided to sleep in a bit on Saturday versus catching the sunrise. I arrived at Ladder #1 just before 6:00am to discover that Chris, Carol, and Danny had already set out. The water was absolutely pristine at 70F, so I opted to go with just the jammers and thermo shirt.
Dave arrived decked out in his scuba gear and spent the better part of the next hour exploring the lake. I took off to do my out-and-back to Oak Street Beach. We had a few slight rollers to make things interesting, but the weather was perfect and the water was magnificent. Chris and Carol did a 3-mile out-and-back all the way to Ohio Street Beach, and Ladder #1 welcomed new a Lake Monster to the crew. Congratulations Ann!
Perfect morning
June 26, 2009 / by Steve / Make A Comment / Filed under Event Alert
In case you missed it, I conducted a special seminar Wednesday early evening for the June Monthly Meeting of the Chicago Triathletes Unite! Meetup Group. We had a great turnout – about 15 swimmers showed up – and the weather and water conditions were absolutely ideal. Here are some of the key points we discussed:
- The “inner game” of open water swimming (attribution of physical states, “catching” emotions, deconstructing the fear/anxiety response)
- Preparing your body for colder water immersion (cold water “priming,” mammalian dive reflex)
- Water entry scenarios (beach, pier, ferry boat)
- Treading water and sighting
- Special scenarios (choppy water, currents, drafting, swallowing water)
Special kudos go out to Jill Lambert for organizing the Meetup group.
June 26, 2009 / by srhernan / Make A Comment / Filed under Equipment & Gear
Just a quick FYI. Xterra Wetsuits, our sponsor, has given us special discounts on their various products. Most of these discounts are ongoing, but they have placed a time limit on the discount for their high end wetsuit, the Vendetta.
So if you are interested in getting one of these “elite” wetsuits at a special discount, send me a quick note at srhernan@gmail.com as this offer expires JUNE 30, 2009.
June 25, 2009 / by Steve / Make A Comment / Filed under Event Alert
As some of you might already know, I’m a big fan of Chicago Endurance Sports. I’ve had the pleasure of training under the direction of co-founder Mike Norman since I began my endurance sports hobby (obsession?) in 2004, and I can tell you that they offer some top notch programs – plus they’re a lot of fun, too!
Mike and crew have just introduced a new class on open water swim training that might be of interest to some of you. It’s a 3-week session that begins Wednesday, July 1st (6:15pm -7:30pm), and it covers topics such as:
- Stroke technique tips for Open Water vs. Pool
- Tips for practicing indoors
- Sighting skills & technique
- Equipment tips & tricks (wetsuits, goggles, etc.)
- Drafting technique and practice
- Starts
- Turns & negotiating buoys
- Exits
- Racing strategies
- Race specific training
One of the coaches is former World Champion Open Water Swimmer, Erica Rose. So it looks to be a fantastic program.
Check it out!
June 24, 2009 / by srhernan / Make A Comment / Filed under Fitness & Training
Check out the Zen To Fitness posting on tips for treating depression based on “stone age” practices. He does a pretty good job of summarizing the podcast. Plus – more importantly – he plugs the website!
June 13, 2009 / by srhernan / Make A Comment / Filed under Swim Reports
The sandman had his claws in me pretty deep this morning, so I didn’t make it out to Ladder #1 until about 5:30am (I know…slacker!). Chris was already out there taking pictures of the cloud-muted sunrise. Since Chris was just getting over the flu, Dave and I did the trek to Oak Street Beach while Chris joined in a bit later.
There was a slight chop to the water, and we had to swim into a mild current on the way back to L1. But the water temperature was quite tolerable at a surprisingly balmy 60F.
After the swim we all horsed around in the “pool” area just off of L1 and good-naturedly heckled the packs of runners out on the path (go CES!). By then the drizzle had intensified – something which is completely irrelevant to us but absolutely agonizing to the runners. And, Jesse, a new arrival at L1, showed up around that time and did a 1/4 mile swim sans wetsuit. So there are no excuses for not coming out!
P.S. We found a beach ball and an aerobie frisbee during our swim out to Oak Street Beach. If you happen to have lost one of these out there, you need not be concerned. We will take very good care of these items and get many years of enjoyment out of them.
Dave pre-swim
June 9, 2009 / by Steve / 2 Comments / Filed under Tips & Techniques
Here’s another great swimming article at Active.com by Michael Collins, Masters swimming and triathlon coach. You can check out the link, but it’s so succinct that I copied it here in its entirety:
If you’re planning to swim in open water this summer, you already know the big blue sea requires some different–and additional–skills than does the pool. Here are five tips to help you shave time off your open-water swims:
1. Practice with a purpose: During open-water practice, try repeats of swimming out and back instead of relying solely on long, non-stop swims. Completing a 4×500 (swimming 250 meters out and 250 meters back, four times) can help with necessary open-water skills such as turning/swimming around buoys, navigation, and getting in and out of the water. You’ll also be more likely to bump into people unintentionally, which helps prepare for the inevitable contact found in open-water events.
2. Draft: Practice drafting with other swimmers just as you would practice drafting on your bike. You may gain some speed, you’ll get used to swimming with others in close proximity, and you won’t have to look up to sight quite as much. It’s still best to be responsible for your own positioning and do your own sighting to confirm where you’re going.
3. Straight as an arrow: Learn to swim straight. Most swimmers have a stronger side and prefer breathing to one side — both of which can send you off on an angle, fast. Practice regular sight-breathing in the pool as well as in open-water practice. Start by looking up every 8-10 strokes, and gradually work up to 20.
4. By the buoy: Turning directly next to buoys in open-water events may not be your ticket to a faster time. Avoid the inevitable slowing with all the crowds next to the buoy by swimming just a bit wider. You’ll save overall time and avoid much of the kicking and thrashing that is common at the turns.
5. Peel rubber: If you plan to wear a wetsuit for triathlons or other open-water swim races, practice, practice, practice getting your wetsuit off. Experiment with what works best for you to facilitate quick and easy removal. Many swimmers like to “pre-treat” their legs with a petroleum-free roll-on protectant used to prevent chafing, or with a fat-free cooking spray.
