2012 Grandma's Marathon & Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon - Duluth, MN | DetermiNation

2012 Grandma's Marathon & Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon - Duluth, MN | DetermiNation

YOGA FOR SHIN SPLINTS

How can you help shin splints with yoga?

Shin splints are an irritation of the muscles and connective tissues that attach to the shinbone. The pounding of running stresses the tissues along your tibia, and if the amount of stress is greater than the runner's ability to recover, pain results. The condition is an example of how important recovery is for improvement in sports -- we must give the body time to grow stronger to make gains.

If your shins are sore from pounding the roads, trails or treadmill, try three simple yoga poses.

1. Legs Up the Wall

Sit about 6 inches away from a wall with your left side facing the wall. Swing your legs up onto the wall, laying your head and shoulders flat on the floor. Spend about 10 minutes in this position, allowing the muscles in your legs (especially your lower legs) to relax. If the position is too intense, try the legs-to-the-coffee-table pose, where you rest on your back on the floor with your calves on top of a sofa or low table.

2. Hero Pose

Kneel on the floor with your feet flat and toes pointing behind you. Sit back so that your butt rests on your heels. You’ll feel a big stretch along your tibialis muscles and the tops of your feet. Breathe deeply into the areas where you feel sensation. Hold for 30 seconds to a minute. As you grow more comfortable with the pose, you can increase the time.

3. Tree Pose

This is a simple, single-legged balance pose that helps build strength in your lower legs, helping you to avoid future shin splints. Stand with both feet on the floor about shoulder width apart. Shift your weight into your left foot and lift your right leg. Turn the leg and place your right foot against your left leg, wherever you can comfortably position it: on the calf or the inner thigh, but never against your knee. Lift your hands upward, or keep them at your sides for balance. Hold the position for five to 10 breaths, then repeat, standing on your opposite leg.

SAQ Sports Conditioning

What is SAQ, you ask?
Speed
Agility
Quickness

SAQ workouts consist of short, intense drills that require you to accelerate or decelerate quickly, while moving backward, forward or side-to-side.  SAQ improves balance, power and neuromuscular firing patterns so that your movements become fast, dynamic and precise.  You’ll notice improvements in your response time and your ability to change direction lightning fast.  These workouts are great for athletes!

There are many other sports are explosive—and explosive sports must be trained explosively.

SAQ training helps protect you from injury when you are trying new sports or adding new challenges to your routine.  If you teach your muscles to fire contrary to what they are used to, you will prepare your tendons, ligaments, muscles and joints for the unexpected.

What happens to your muscles?
The central nervous system (CNS) sends messages to a muscle’s individual motor units to team up and recruit more muscle fiber –and that’s a good thing.  The only thing to be cautious about is too much CNS activity, because when you go 90% or faster, it puts a tremendous amount of stress on your CNS and muscles, which makes you stronger, but which also can cause deep fatigue in your body.  So make sure that you recover between SAQ workouts—it takes about 72-96 hours to recover.

Getting ready for SAQ drills:
For the first three weeks do multi-directional movement patterns into your routine. These are fundamental skills that move you up, down, forward, backward, laterally, and diagonally—on flats, hills and stairs.

Weeks four and beyond add SAQ drills 2-3 times per week.  You will want to begin 6-8 weeks before your sport.

Time / Reps

• Beginner/Intermediate:  30 seconds for each drill, with 30 second active recovery of walking  (1-3 sets)
• Intermediate/Advanced: 30-60 seconds for each drill, with 30-60 second active recovery of walking or light jogging. (5-10 sets)

For more on SAQ training, please contact me! 

Best Body Weight Exercises

1.  Squats
2.  Push ups
3.  Bridges
4.  Lunges
5.  Planks
6.  Tricep dips
7.  Single leg deadlifts
8.  Spinal balance
9.  Bicycles
10.  Leg hovers
11.  Side lunges
12.  Burpees
13.  Lunge jumps
14.  Pull ups
15.  Jumping jacks (squat jacks)
16.  Mountain climbers
17.  Tuck jumps
18.  Butt kicks
19.  Frog jumps
20.  Plie' squats

*Looking for more information on training using some of these exercises, contact me*

Are you obsessed with eating healthy foods?

As I was researching today, I ran across this article posted on the Livestrong website.  I found it very interesting, and thought I would share with you. 

http://www.livestrong.com/article/481891-health-food-passion-or-dangerous-obsession/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=110809

Post your comment, and let me know what you think.

TRX Suspension Training

Looking to improve strength, endurance and core strength?  TRX Suspension Training is the way to go!!  I have taken the all day course and am now able to bring this training into your home.  To find out more about training like the pros, check out the following websites:

http://www.trxtraining.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MJUYCwy4-g

Great Recipe! Enjoy!

Chicken Tacos with Charred Tomatoes

Charring tomatoes in a hot, dry skillet makes them smoky and flavorful; in combination with fresh herbs and spices, they elevate this dish from "everyday" to "ta-da!" Serve the tacos with reduced-fat sour cream.

Servings: 2 servings

Prep: 35 mins

Total: 35 mins

 

Ingredients

2   plum tomatoes, cored

8 ounces  boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed of fat

1/4 teaspoon  salt

1/8 teaspoon  freshly ground pepper

2 teaspoons  canola oil, divided

1/2 cup  finely chopped white onion

1 clove  garlic, minced

1   small jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

2 teaspoons  lime juice, plus lime wedges for garnish

2 teaspoons  chopped fresh cilantro

2   scallions, chopped

6   small corn tortillas, heated (see Tip)

 

Directions

1. Heat a medium skillet over high heat until very hot. Add tomatoes and cook, turning occasionally with tongs, until charred on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool slightly. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise; squeeze to discard seeds. Remove cores and chop the remaining pulp and skin.

2. Cut chicken into 1-inch chunks; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add 1 teaspoon oil to the pan and heat over high heat until very hot. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is browned and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeno and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add lime juice, the chicken and tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro and scallions. Divide the chicken mixture among tortillas. Serve with lime wedges.

 

 

Tip:
Tip: Wrap tortillas in barely damp paper towels and microwave on High for 30 to 45 seconds.

 

 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 297, Total Fat 9 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat 4 g, Cholesterol 63 mg, Sodium 415 mg, Carbohydrate 27 g, Fiber 2 g, Protein 27 g, Potassium 463 mg. Daily Values: Vitamin A 20%, Vitamin C 30%. Exchanges: Starch 2,Lean Meat 3,Fat 1.
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet