FitLifeSF

The economic down turn has hit a number of us, and what better time to focus on what is really important. Our families, our friends, and our health. If you stay home to work out (instead of hitting a bar) even 2 nights a week, think of the cash you can keep in your pocket. If you can get off the couch and get moving, think of the extra energy you will have.

Tight times and down times can be our most productive, especially if we focus on the simple things in our life.   I promise you, if you feel better you will have the motivation to succeed!

-Rob

The New York Times weighs in on some sites that make music specifically for running.

I have to say, I love running to music, so this list has some options I need to check out.  I know some folks are adamantly anti-iPod, but I do really love the boost music gives me.

Here are some tips, though, on how not to be a douche when running with an iPod:

- Nobody wants to see your guts on the roadway.  If running on the side of the road, either take your earbuds out altogether, or take out the one facing the road so that you can hear everything going on.  (I know you are technically supposed to run facing traffic, but some roads around here have more space on the with-traffic side of the road, so hearing both cars and bicyclists is important.)

- The same goes for high-traffic areas at races.  If running across the Golden Gate Bridge in a race situation, for example, I’ll take out my left earbud and stay closer to the right (since I’m not the swiftest) so that I can be sure to hear people coming up behind me.

-Would you drive on the freeway with earplugs? Then don’t run on a track with an iPod.

- Not everyone thinks The Brady Bunch was a seminal artist in the development of post-Beatles musical America.  Keep it turned down to a reasonable level even if you are running off-street.

- If a really crappy song comes on your Shuffle, that’s YOUR fault, not mine.  Don’t screech to a hault in the middle of the path to dig your iPod out of your shorts and find something you like better.  Wait until you can pull off the trail responsibly to fix it.  (And, yes, you CAN survive without it- my iPod froze or something halfway through the Emerald Across the Bay and I had a lovely time without it.  Didn’t stop to see what the problem was.  Try it, you might like it!)

- Consider making a playlist specifically for your races, with slower songs upfront to keep you reigned in in the beginning and with realy adrenaline-thumpers when you think you’ll be at tough spots like hills or boring out-and-backs.

- If you lock your iPod, it won’t get progressively louder from bouncing around in your shorts.

This has been a crazy several weeks.  After going to Ukraine to train with Igor Kurinnoy, I came back about 13 pounds lighter than when I arrived.  (I had hurt my knee about 3 weeks before the trip, and decided to take it easy and eat out for dinner almost every day, this took me from 209 to 217 before the trip)  What I though was going to be a Sambo camp, turned out to be a Sambo Conditioning Camp.  This was designed to not only improve our Sambo skills, but to get us competition ready.  (Yeah, it was brutal)

So, instead of coming home (after 2 days of eating, drinking and travel, I weighed in at 204.5 and 15.5% body fat) and slacking, I decided on starting a new P90X cycle on June 1st.  (and it was a Monday, made it really easy)  The big difference this time is that I have been staying very close to the recommended P90X diet.  (There have been a couple of slip ups, but nothing crazy.  I am way more in the diet than off)  [Read more →]

www.plumbdragonherbs.com

My hat is off the the people at Plum Dragon herbs!  They are life savers!

I have been training in martial arts since I was 14 years old.  (WOW, that means it have been 21 years.  Insane)  At some point I was introduced to Dit Da Jow, and I learned that if you get the right recipe, this stuff really works.  Most of the time I would receive bottles from friends who had their “family” recipe batches, and they would keep me pretty well stocked.  (A little goes a long way)  So picture this, I am getting ready to leave for the most intense training trip I have ever been on, and I AM OUT OF JOW!  So, what to do? [Read more →]

Local peeps are invited over at 1pm to go through a series of exercises/tests to determine their general fitness baselines. Those of you who have come over before, we can see how you have improved! 

Please contact Smurf or me in advance to let us know you are coming.  We do like new faces!

-Rob