Nikewomen NFR Blog

How Delicious Is Your Training?

GevrinaSeferaj — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:30:03 GMT

Timing.

Balance.

Focus.

Speed.

All are elements that attribute to the success of an athlete. The thirst for competition, and the desire for improvement can at times make training very difficult. Despite the long hours at a pool or at a court, a workout/practice can be tough to push through. So, how do you turn your training regiment around and make it “Delicious?”

The answer lies within you! Seeing the Nike slogan “Delicious Training” made me think about what it meant. It also provoked not only a fascination out of me but it also made me want to change my workout to something that I could in fact refer to it as “Delicious.”

Everyone’s training routine is of course unique, so I decided to interview four girls that are involved in different sports. I interviewed a tennis player, dancer, basketball player and a swimmer. Each girl found her training to be both delicious and satisfying.

Alex, 22, plays tennis and is an overall athlete. Having played tennis since the age of five, Alex also picked up an interest in competing for a volleyball high school team as well as rowing for a Division I university. I asked what her interpretation of Delicious Training and she responded, “delicious training is the idea of training without knowing your training. When your addiction kicks in and all you want to do is be playing that sport. When nothing else matters besides the next point and everything else in your life drifts away except for that moment.”

The key phrase, “training without knowing that you’re actually training,” is so true. When I’m at the yoga studio or at lyrical jazz class, I give myself that one hour out of my busy schedule to relax and do something I love. When I’m dancing, regardless of how sore I might feel from the previous dance class, I become so enthralled in what I’m doing that the pain seems to go away.

I was able to relate to Kaylee, 20, who has danced for 17 years and at such an early age has earned the title of head coach for her alma mater this year. Her passion and love for her dance, has fueled her career to an early success. Kaylee describes dancing as her “get away from the real world even if it is for an hour. It keeps me in shape, happy and positive, and I couldn’t ask for more in something I love to do.”

The moment something you do becomes a routine is the moment that the passion and fire terminates. All four of these young ladies are zealous about their training, and all consider themselves to be passionate about their sport. It is important to realize however, that there is a distinction between playing a sport and the training that follows it.

Regardless, I still found myself asking, how can we break through, or manage the hard parts of a workout?

I asked Lara a swimmer, 21, if she thought her training was delicious? And all I got was, “Duh Gevvy, not only am I in a bathing suit, but I’m swimming under the sunny California weather.”

Her response was rather comical; of course she thinks her training is delicious. Why you might ask? Well, anyone can design their training to be delicious as long as they love what they do. Lara is proof of this theory as she not only loves swimming and the training that goes with it, but she loves to represent her sport. So much so, that she is training to reach her goal of getting a sectional time in the 100m and 200m backstroke.

Each one of these active women is passionate about what they do and are willingly to put in the time and discipline to train. Many times, and I’m definitely guilty of this, we forget how important training really is in our daily life. Whether you’re training for performance, or training to stay in shape, training should always be fun. This correlates with Beverly’s thoughts on her definition of Delicious Training. Beverly a 19-year-old basketball player said “the term, I think is mainly relevant to true athletes who have a passion for their sports; the delicious part of their training spuds from their passion, making their sport fun!”

Although Beverly is swamped with school work and playing both basketball and volleyball, she still keeps her training fun. Fun is the main component of her workout as she continues to excel in her performance among her teammates. Beverly attributes her eight years of basketball success to her training—“the reward comes from the endurance and agility.”

Alex, Kaylee, Lara and Beverly all understand that some days training can be tiring, but they all strive to make the hard spots of workouts fun—resulting in a more effective workout that benefits them in all aspects. Training is rewarding and gratifying.

After reading these experiences, how delicious is your training? Are you passionate about your training? All are valid questions to jump start the success of your workout regiment. I know I’m going to start to make my Delicious Training my own and truly make those cardio workouts yummy!

Start now! Making YOUR training delicious and make it your own! Be passionate about what you’re doing because in the long run, success will immediately follow after the time and effort is put forth.

-Gevrina Seferaj

At Ease with the H2O

AllisonObrien — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:45:26 GMT

The dreadful test, a long day at work or stress for whatever reason, we deal with these roadblocks in our everyday life. In the last year, I found my remedy! Like many young kids, I too swam competitively for several years. I put swimming on the back burner as my interest in other sports began to grow, but about a year ago I revisited my swim cap and goggles.

In hope to find a cardio cross-training workout to relieve the wear and tear on my joints, I gave the pool a second chance. I can honestly say I was pleasantly surprised! Not only is a pool workout offering relief to my joints, it has also become my home remedy for unwinding after a long day. Something about being in the water puts my mind at ease. The rhythm of my stroke and focus on my breath not only relaxes me, but it has also become a time that I can allow my mind to wonder. Don’t get me wrong, my hamstrings are burning and my biceps become exhausted, but some how I forget about any issue, any stress and any worry. I work hard, lap after lap to stay in the pool for 1760 yards = 36 laps = 1 mile and trust me, my mind is so far out of the water sometimes, I loose track of the 36 lap count!

I’m sharing this because swimming has become this double edge sword in my workout routine – a great workout and a source of relaxation. It’s a workout I look forward to, while reaping the cardio health benefit to my heart and lungs. Not to mention the endurance, muscle strength and cardio fitness I gain. This is my H2O testimonial and my advice to all the young athletes out there – currently a swimmer or not - jump in the pool and do something for yourself! Your joints will be happy and your mind will be at ease.

-Allison O'Brien

Tahoe Getaway

VanessaCuellar — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 01:45:57 GMT

I escaped to Lake Tahoe last weekend and it was totally what the doctor ordered.The lake was in superb condition to say the least. There was the usual hustle and bustle of people up for the weekend. I saw a lot of people trying their hand at the latest paddle surfing which looked surprisingly difficult. It’s all about engaging the core and keeping the abs nice and tight. I had no board but went swimming, played a vigorous game of badminton and went on a hike. There were an endless amount of activities to do but just not enough daylight to do everything. Luckily, Lake Tahoe is just in my backyard and I will be returning soon to enjoy all the wonders she has to offer. Skiing and snowboarding coming soon this winter.

-Vanessa Cuellar

I Came. I TRI’d. I Conquered.

AshleyKoehn — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:35:27 GMT

Have you ever finished a race and felt as though sparks were going to fly?!

Last year, I was a spectator at the largest triathlon in the United States, the Chicago Triathlon. I vowed to myself that I would compete in my first international distance triathlon the following year.

365 days later, it was time. Time to fly!

Sunday morning begin with a 3:30 alarm and drive downtown Chicago. After setting up my bike, helmet, biking shoes, running shoes, bib number belt and water bottles at the transition (how’d I remember all that?!), I joined my team – the Chicago Athletic Triathlon Team – for pre-race tips, encouragement and of course, banana chocolate chip muffins.

Also joining my team was the sun! It was a gorgeous day for the race! three hours later, my wave was ready to begin.

SWIM: During the .93 mile course, Monroe Harbor traded their sailboats for swim caps and broad shoulders. No need for Batman in the Windy City, we all looked like fierce superheroes in our wetsuits. My nerves created fireflies in my stomach and my wetsuit hugged my body like wonder woman. In an instant, the gun went off, and my wave of female athletes morphed into an angry school of fish! I got kicked and was taking arm strokes over swimmer’s backs. Yet, after 50 meters of sprinting, I gained some calm water. Keeping my arm strokes long, I kept a steady pace, exited the water and ran a half-mile to my first transition.

BIKE: For the next 25 miles, Lake Shore Drive shared its cabs with the Chicago Tri! When I jumped on my bike, I felt SO charged! Statistics show that exercising gives you endorphins, but this feeling was electric! I rode two big loops. Going north, the windy city stood up to its name and challenged my pedaling. Yet riding south, I felt like Lance Armstrong himself, whistling by the moving cars with complete ease. I gave myself words of affirmation, “You got it! Come on Ash!” Call me delirious, but these words were bolts of esteem, as the bike course was sparse of spectators.

RUN: The last 6.2 miles was along Chicago’s museums, football stadiums and beaches, ending in Grant Park (think inauguration.) Again, I felt lightening speed and happiness at the beginning of the run! My first mile was greeted with family and friends yelling and cheering! After that, I couldn’t stop smiling. My mood was elevated, and then it was time to pass! Even my Facebook profile explains how one of my favorite things is to pass runners on the lakefront when I train, so my last leg of the tri became a game! Picking up momentum to less than an 8-minute mile pace, I started to pass!

The home stretch was, like I said, electric! Sparks of energy were flying and the finish line was in sight! I picked up the pace, saw my friends and family once again and charged to the end! I placed 16th in my age group and 88th out of 1,300 women. I came. I TRI’d. I conquered (with the help of a little goal and sparks of energy!)

-Ashley Koehn

One Last Dip

StaceyWild — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:15:52 GMT

I love being in the water. I always have, and I always will, which is probably part of the reason why I love summer so much. Growing up there was nothing better than spending every day from Memorial Day to Labor Day, at the pool. My best friends were there. We had a snack bar with great food and every kind of ice cream and popsicles you could imagine. It was our fantasy world we would all dream about while we were stuck in school the other nine months of the year. And when that last day of living in our fantasy world would come, we would do everything we could to hold on.

The pool we all went to opened daily at noon. We would be there at 11:40 a.m. and we would stay until close, regardless of the weather. When the lifeguards blew that final whistle of the season, it was always a challenge who could be the last one out of the water. We would leave things at the bottom of the pool so that we had an excuse to hop back in. Labor Day, which is now a day off for me, was the worst day of the year for me and my friends growing up. So, being the recent college grad that I am, I went back to the pool I grew up at on my first Labor Day off work to get my last dip of the season in.

I learned how to swim at SPRA (Science Park Recreation Association) when I was three years old. I started working there as a lifeguard when I was 15 with three of my best friends. Two of them still worked there this summer and were both on duty when I walked in. We all graduated college in May. Alex is teaching English at our high school and Sarah is moving to Philadelphia to work for a large financial company. It was only fitting that the three of us could spend the last Labor Day we have before venturing into the real world and finally living apart, together.

Swimming is a big deal in Pennsylvania. A lot of children come to the pool for fun, and end up joining one of the three local swim teams. Regardless if they continue competitively, they learn a very important life skill and an exercise they can do well into their elderly years. Swimming is the few individual sport that still promotes teamwork. Although you can win your race, you get no award, nor are individual stats kept, other than fastest times. Swimmers don’t have a win loss record, like wrestlers do. No matter how many events you can win in a meet, you walk away with nothing unless your team wins. This makes it easy for kids to develop a sense of teamwork and good sportsmanship, which is why I loved coaching so much. Doing a cannon ball off the board into the diving well brings back so many wonderful memories of opening day, swim meets, championships, parties, swim team sleepovers, and that last day in what is still, my fantasy world.

-Stacey Wild

Is Heroism Genetic?

AshleyKoehn — Fri, 08 May 2009 18:42:24 GMT

In honor of Mother’s Day, I thought it would appropriate to celebrate our mothers, our grandmothers, the women who gave us our genes...our ATHLETIC genes.

Think about your mom and the other women in your family. More than likely, they passed along their eye color, curly hair and high arched feet. Yet, appearances aside, these women provided you with your athletic ability, your confidence and enthusiasm for sports.

Title IX was passed when my mom was a sophomore in high school. She made the varsity basketball and softball teams and played for the remaining three years of high school. My mom always jokes that basketball gave her the biggest calf muscles and that she couldn’t fit into the trendy boots of the 70’s. But she wouldn’t have wanted it any other way, as she loved her muscular legs.

Although my mom didn’t know how to swim until the age of thirty-seven (when she took adult swimming lessons!), she wanted me to feel confident in the water and confident in my body. So I started swimming lessons at the age of two. Growing up (and even today), I’ve always had bigger legs, but my mom has instilled the positive affirmation of strength to my mindset. “You have such strong legs Ashley! They are beautiful!” she would say. To this day, I cherish athletic-bodies in a society of sticks. I view true beauty as broad backs, toned arms and large quadriceps. My mom passed on CONFIDENCE.

Picture if you will, a ten-year old swimmer with mirrored bug-eyed goggles waiting behind the blocks for her race to begin. While the girls in the lanes next to her were jumping around, talking to boys, and biting their nails, this girl was giving “the stare.” This girl was me. My mom taught me to mentally “intimidate” the competition before my race. My routine included staring to the right and left, looking forward and then pounding my fist into my palm three times. She said, “Be friends with the girls after you win, but before the race, show them you have a little something extra.” Looking back I must have looked ridiculous, but it made me believe in myself and that year was the year I won my first state championship. This routine worked for me and it carried me to a Division I colligate team. She passed on COMPETITIVE SWAGGER.

Above all, my mom instilled that anything is possible. She says, “If you can believe it, and you can do it, for all things are possible through Him who strengthens you.”

Ladies, this Mother’s Day, thank your mom for your jump shot, your curve ball, your killer start or spiriting skills, because more than likely she has that same ability. She is a living example that you CAN become more than you ever thought you could…because SHE did…and YOU will too.

-Ashley Koehn

Swim Season

ElizabethNguyen — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 21:31:33 GMT

Right now is swim season, and the swimmer of the month I have chosen is Amber Bryan.

Her story: Amber is now 19 years old and in her 2nd year of college. She started out as an athlete playing softball for 12 ½ years and then injured her knee. Her sophomore year of high school she tried out for water polo team for recovery. Amber says, “I joined swim team after that because I liked it better, and I have just been swimming ever since.”

Amber’s definition of swimming is “Jumping into the water, gliding as far as you can, and going your hardest trying to out touch your opponent. And it is also a team sport, which I want people to understand. You are winning points for you team, and winning for your team.”

Amber wants you to always remember that whatever sport you play, “Just be a team and all of this is about a team. Do not think of yourself as an individual only. For example when we have our relay swim, I love it because it is swimming for a goal. You are pushing your team mate and your team mate is yelling for you. It is an experience knowing that what you are doing is helping out everybody and not just yourself. Everybody is connected to each other.”

Amber was raised in a very athletic family. Her mother did swimming in high school and her father played water polo in high school, and her sister plays softball and soccer, and Amber plays all of them and on top of that, she’s also a dancer! “I consider dance a sport because it pertains to a lot of what I do now, like, you have to be able to be flexible, to get your arms out of the water. In swimming you have to be graceful, and you need to have strong legs.”

And Amber has also had her fair share of struggles. She overcomes obstacles by keeping a positive mind. In the beginning of this spring semester at her college, she broke her ankle and she says, “It was really hard to tread water because swimming requires a lot of ankle work, and a lot of kicking. So I have learned that if you keep pushing through the pain, you will get through it. My mental state definitely is what got me through it. I just think ‘Just keep swimming. Just go! Just keep going! Swim hard, and swim fast!’”

Whether you want to play swim, dance, or whatever you are interested in, Amber’s advice is, “Remember that if it doesn’t work out or go your way the first time, just keep pushing, because no matter how tired you are, the harder you push the better it is going to pay off. And for everything you do, make it fun because if you think of it as just a job it won’t be fun anymore and then you are going to lose the love for the sport. So keep everything fun, and a keep a good mind about it, and you’ll be fine.”

From Amber’s experience, she remembers when she first started swimming from not being able to swim even one lap to now swimming “three thousand laps a day plus,” lap everyday, figuratively speaking. Her life lesson in sport and when learning and getting excellent in anything is, “Repetition is the key!” So the next time you try a sport, like swimming, or anything in life, I challenge you to keep a strong positive mind, and don’t give up. With a strong mind, anyone’s greatest potential can be achieved!

-Lizzie Nguyen

Scuba...in a pool?

AshleyCeaser — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 23:15:25 GMT

I’ve always wanted to try scuba diving. Since childhood, the thought of being able to go deep and swim among fish has followed me even up until now. My itch to go finally got the best of me after watching the television series Blue Planet.

I researched some diving classes in my area and found an “Intro to Scuba” class at a local dive shop, Wallin’s Dive Center. But I never expected my first experience diving under water to be in a pool. At first, I was pretty skeptical. How could we learn how to scuba dive in a pool? However, I began to realize that it is the perfect option for beginners. Not only you did not have to worry about all the nerve-racking external factors that you would have to deal with in the ocean (like being out of your element), the only thing you had to bring was your swimsuit. Best of all, the class was free.

Our two-hour lesson was split into two parts: on land, learning the basics and in water, actually scuba diving. We were taught proper equipment maintenance, the physics of air and pressure (like how many atmospheres of pressure is appropriate, and how oxygen gets lowered through the tubes enough for us to be able to breath), how to attach the oxygen tank, and check the proper levels. I was a little nervous when we took our first breath underwater, but when those nerves wore off, it was so much fun. We practiced using our buoyancy compensators and even played with underwater rockets/missiles.

As our instructor, Russ, said, “You know why you should scuba? Because it can change your life. You can’t go up in space, but you can go underwater.” And while I don’t plan to take a ride in the space shuttle anytime soon, I know that I will definitely strap on a tank and take a dive in the ocean in the future!

If you live in the Bay Area and would like some more information, you can check out the Wallin’s website

-Ashley Ceaser

TRI-UMPHANT!!!

meghanbrennan — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:21:27 GMT

The shrill sound of the telephone woke me up. It was 4:30am.

"Good morning Miss Brennan, this is your courtesy wake up call. The expected temperature today is 78 degrees and sunny. Have a wonderful day," said the woman on the other end of the phone.

"You've got to be kidding me," I thought, “I just fell asleep." My stomach churned with a mix of hunger and nerves.

After a big bowl of oatmeal, coffee and a bagel with peanut butter, I headed to Key Biscayne. Even the sun was still sleeping.

Although I arrived at the race site in total darkness, the atmosphere was electric. 1500 triathletes buzzed inside the transition area, organizing their multitude of gear. The murmurs and chatters amongst us sounded like the wings of thousands of bees.

1436. That was my bib number. I walked along the rack until I spotted my bike. Now it's time to get all my gear in order.

Wetsuit? Check. Cap and goggles? Check. Towel? Check. Cycling shoes? Check. Helmet? Check. Running shoes, race belt, bib number, water bottle, timing chip, energy goos? Check, check, check, check, check, check and check.

Fast forward.

I'm standing on the beach with 110 female triathletes, ages 39 and under. We're all sporting purple caps. I'm front and center. The horn blares and we are off.

What a rush. The next 2 hours and 58 mins are a whirlwind.

With a good amount of the Virginia Key Bay in my stomach, I emerge from the water dizzy and with only 19 purple caps ahead of me.

My body wanted to walk but I kept a steady jog into the transition area. In my head I walked my self through the transition I had practice plenty of times.

"Unzip wet suit. Arms out. Cap and goggles off. Left leg, right leg. Cycling shoes on. Helmet on. Grab the bike and go."

The bike leg seemed like an eternity. Pro triathletes flew by on my left hand side. I felt like I was on a 2 speed with streamers coming from my handlebars and a basket in front. Everyone else was riding mopeds. The only thing that saved me was a cheer from my parents every time I passed by.

I found my spirit once the bike leg was over. Only 6.2 miles to go! Running shoes on and I was ready to bring it home. With a mile left I picked up and ran hard until I crossed the finish line.

2 hours and 58 minutes later I was still smiling, I was tri-umphant, I was a triathlete!

-Meghan

Women: More than Sport Coaches - but Life Coaches

AshleyKoehn — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:11:17 GMT

Take a minute to think about your past and present coaches. Did you name men? Did you name women? Did you name ONE woman? Ironically as women's sports have gained popularity and prestige, the number of female coaches has drastically declined. Prior to the passage of Title IX in 1972, females coached 90% of women's teams. Today that number has been cut in half, as females coach only approximately 44% of women's collegiate teams.

Growing up I had all male swimming coaches. No offence to the opposite sex, but although these men built my stroke technique and bestowed intimidation practices, there was a missing link, an absent “niche." Thus, my heart took over before making my collegiate swimming decision, when I connected with my future coaches, as BOTH my head and assistant coaches were women.

As I reflect on the qualities of Cathy and Dar, not only were these two wonderful women my swim coaches, but they were truly were my LIFE coaches (and second moms).

Cathy was my head collegiate coach. Never have I known a woman with such charisma, motivation and passion for her job, her family, her girls...all forty of them. I could write a book, but I wanted to share Cathy's tips for LIFE in and out of the chlorine:

1) Be competitive. Cathy taught us that we would always have girls swimming aside of us, trying to out touch our fingertips. Likewise, in our future career goals, people will fight us, but we should battle smarter, and with intelligence and poise.

2) Have Gratitude. At least once a month, Cathy would have our team write "10 things we are grateful for." Whether it was our health, a card from our family or chocolate protein shakes after practice, she cultivated our thoughts to appreciate the simple things in life.

3) Relationships are Work. Cathy told us to nurture these connections daily. Post-it notes, spontaneity, and kind words of appreciation work wonders; for everyone wants to feel loved.

4) Your body is a temple. For more energy, Cathy told us if we saw a teammate with a bag of chips, to give her a box of wheat crackers. Yet nutrition aside, she told us to cherish our muscles, our rest and our mental state.

5) Don't take yourself too seriously. The team would always catch Cathy shaking her hips or humming to Missy Elliot or Kelis. She dressed up as a goblin for Halloween and lingered around the pool deck. Cathy played pranks, told lavish stories and always covered her mouth while laughing when she knew wasn't supposed to.

6) Have faith. Above all, Cathy shared that our life will have both roaring success and unfortunate heartbreak, but if we trust in our character and keep a positive attitude, happiness will prevail.

I hope the next decade brings a new wave of female coaches. Like Cathy and Dar, women are walking role models and mentors, showing that women truly "can have it all" while balancing the demands of work, family and passions. At the end of the day, our double practices plus weights were successful, dual meets were victorious, and records were broken, but I believe we did so with more heart and more passion, because the coaches leading our team were a direct reflection of us - other women.

-Ashley Koehn

Fighting The Fever

meghanbrennan — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 22:18:29 GMT

I have a severe case of spring fever and the only remedy is some good,old-fashioned sunshine.

Perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm assuming you are familiar with the relentless symptoms of spring fever. But if you aren't a Midwesterner, or from any cold winter climate, you have most likely never suffered from this pesky ailment we call spring fever.

Let me explain.

Come mid February the fever hits. At this point your body is merely trying to warm itself. It's been three months of sub zero temperatures and arctic winds. That's three months too many in my opinion.

The fever precedes the rash. It's an all over body itch, as uncomfortable as the chicken pox. Mom always said, "don't scratch, it will just make it worse." But without calamine lotion to easy the temptation, there is simply no choice.

There is no one-way to best cure or "scratch" this itch. For some it's the smell of barbeque on a Saturday afternoon provides relief. And others, it’s the taste of a bratwurst and crack of the bat on opening day.

The cure is a hefty dose of spring.

While the city of Chicago has one of the best spring seasons around, in my opinion, I simply can't wait until April. My condition is worsening by the day and I’m fearful of what 2 and ½ additional months of winter may do.

So off to Florida I go.

Ahhh Floridahhhh, there I can smell the ocean and feel the warm, salt-water breeze on my skin. As I sit on the plane typing this, I can feel my fever breaking and my body regaining strength.

While Florida will provide a much-needed dose of vitamin D, it will also, and more importantly, provide the ideal climate for training. With 15 days to go until my Miami triathlon it's time I get acclimated to the Florida heat. It’s time I swim in the ocean and bike outdoors. It's time I can smell, feel and taste my triathlon.

Fifteen days of training in Florida, just what the doctor ordered.

See ya next year spring fever.

-Meghan Brennan

Getting A Jump Start

MelissaParrelli — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:04:05 GMT

I travel A LOT, as many of my blogs will show. But when I go on vacation I not only like to relax, eat, and sight see…I always try and find little ways to constantly be active. When I went to Cabo San Lucas, it was meant to be 10 days full of gluttony- staying at a luxury resort, laying on the beach, and eating five-star, four-course meals. Well, I did manage to eat a bucket of shrimp while lounging under the umbrella poolside, but I walked to go get the food instead of having a waiter bring it to me...does that count? No, I don't think so.

By the third day, I was well rested from sleeping until 3PM and a little disappointed in myself for missing that highly anticipated hang-gliding session I had scheduled. So from that moment on I promised myself to do something with my sluggish body instead of just rolling over and hitting the room service button.

The next morning I woke up early aka at noon and did 50 laps in the beach front infinity pool, which gave the illusion I was swimming among the dolphins in the crystal clear waters where the Pacific and Sea of Cortez unite. Then that evening I went horseback riding, which was quite the experience. I've been riding many times prior, but this opportunity was breathtaking because of the location along the ocean. The horses also trotted instead of the usual leisurely stroll which made for a more heart-pumping occasion. You wouldn't think sitting on a horse would be exercise at all, but it is; I definitely got an arm workout from gripping/pulling the reigns, my abs were sore from keeping a straight posture with my torso, and I actually got some knee exercises in by doing slight leg extensions with the tension from the foot straps. The trail started inland and then we all galloped to the shore, going through three-foot deep ditches filled with water along the way. Since I had to concentrate more on my safety of remaining on the horse rather than absorb the surroundings, I decided to take a walk later on at sunset. I briskly hiked through the sand, as running was not an option because of my lovely knee. It was just enough exercise to end the day on a good note and leave me looking forward to that Swedish massage I had booked the next day.

Be Well.

-Melissa Parrelli

Underwater WHAT?...Hockey?!

SharonMcmillan — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:21:57 GMT

I had to check this out; not only do I love an opportunity to try a new way of being active and competitive but this I just had to see to believe!

I saw an ad on Craigslist recruiting players for the Colorado Underwater Hockey club in Lakewood, CO (uwhockey.com) and not only was I impressed with the idea but I was impressed with all the provided information and the number of other underwater hockey clubs throughout the state.

I figured it had just been invented yesterday but after a little research I learned it was invented in 1954 in England and was called "Octopush"! Since then the game has grown in popularity throughout the world.

I arrived not knowing what to expect, except knowing I was going to be suited up in fins, diving mask and a snorkel, and of course that I was going to be underwater trying to play a modified aquatic game of hockey.

I had only snorkeled once in my life and that was more than five years ago so after Kit, who has been with the Lakewood team for four years, fitted me with head gear to protect my ears (lots of collateral hockey stick and fin contact I was warned), fins, snorkel setup, and then the homemade glove molded in epoxy and homemade short wooden 1 foot long hockey stick, I plunged into the pool and instantly was coughing up water.

For the first 20 minutes I was just trying to dive and clear my snorkel without drowning! Then the team got down to depths and started the game.

They had the pool to themselves at a local recreation center and divided up into teams: black hockey sticks vs. white hockey sticks. Because I was new, clumsy and therefore a hazard, I was given a stick with red painted on the end forewarning my opponents to steer clear!

The objective of underwater hockey is to maneuver the custom-made lead-heavy (approximately three pounds) puck across the pool's width and score into a 9 ft. wide goal that borders the bottom of the pool wall.

There were about 20 people playing of all ages; there was literally young girls beating me to the puck! It was fun and exciting to just watch these athletes swiftly pass and score underwater and if you got in on the action;what an adrenaline rush! I was out of breath within my first dive! Talk about building your lung capacity.

After about 30 minutes of game time, the team went into drills, practicing passing for the upcoming tournament. Let's just say I observed a lot! I was so out of breath!

I hadn't felt so invigorated about a sport in since I started rock climbing five years ago, and I think it was not just because this sport is so physically challenging and new to me but because I had a blast! I love swimming as a workout but after a few laps I am inevitably bored. I found the benefit of an underwater sport (also checkout Underwater Rugby, Underwater Football and even the extreme even more bizarre sport of Underwater Ice Hockey!), is not only conditioning and strength training (my legs were sore the next day!), but it is constantly exciting and stimulating!

If you are interested in taking a DEEP breath and suiting up for some underwater hockey, visit these sites for information and clubs nearest you:

pucku.org or usawh.com

STICKS UP!!

-Sharon McMillan

Learning To Swim One Stroke At A Time

DanaFine — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 18:21:14 GMT

Being the second child and baby in the family has its perks. It is almost as if my parents felt like pros by the time they had me. In almost every situation this was true except for the fact that my parents completely forgot to teach me how to swim. I think they thought that they taught my brother how to swim and that magically the knowledge would trickle down to me. Obviously that was not true.

My parents did teach me how to tread water so I would not drown if I was in a pool but that is about it. When I was at camp as a teenager, I was always in a swimming group where we were only allowed to stay in the shallow end. They never even tried to teach me how to swim. I think they thought if I didn't know how to swim by then, I wouldn't be able to learn. It was a little weird for me because I was always known as an athlete but I couldn't swim. I decided to take matters into my own hands and learn how to swim so that I could eventually try other water sports.

Ironically my mom was a swimming instructor for 20 years so she decided she would make up for lost time and teach me. She started me out by teaching me the correct way to move my arms. In about 15 minutes I had my arms down. We then moved on to flutter kicks with my hands hanging on to the ledge. I was able to pick up both of the movements pretty quickly. However, I was not able to put them together as quickly. After about three hours I was able to swim half the pool correctly and then I would swallow water and have to stop. By the time the day was over I was pretty good at swimming and was already swimming laps.

After running for so long I have been looking for an alternative cardio workout and I think swimming might just be it. It gets my heart racing, my arms soar, and my legs tired. It is a great total body workout and I am so happy that I can finally say I know how to swim. I think the natural next step for me will be the 2012 Games...just kidding.

-Dana Fine

Burqini?Say What?!

MeeladAlArashi — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 20:16:52 GMT

Sports is a universal language that destroys all existing barriers like race, religion and occupation simultaneously uniting the world through athleticism. Swimming is a sport that often times requires wearing a bikini or one-piece swimsuit. In Muslim cultures, modesty and decency are emphasized through physical appearance and apparel. The invention of the "burqini" caters to exactly that (the word is a collaboration of "burqa" and “bikini"). It is a piece of waterproof, polyester designed by Aheda Zanetti, an Australian retailer woman who noticed Muslim girls struggling to fully engage in swimming and other water related sports. The product is in demand in nations as diverse as Malaysia, South Africa, Mexico, Ireland and the U.S. Among other interested consumers included are conservative Christians, cancer patients, burn victims and senior citizens. Hang loose! (pun intended!)

-Meelad Al-Arashi