If I had to choose my favorite "junk food" snack, it would definitely be donuts. Dunkin' Donuts (toasted coconut or butternut) are my favorites, although the Krispy Creme glazed or chocolate frosted are excellent as well. At home, can't beat the Entemann's crumb!
I don't indulge too often, but it's a tradition in our house that before every snowstorm, I stop at a Dunkin' on the way home and pick up a half-dozen to fortify me and my son through a day's worth of shoveling. My first marathon, the Jersey Shore in 1978, was held in December, in Asbury Park. My parents came down with a few dozen Dunkin Donuts and hot coffee for me and my friends. I must have had six that day!
I was pleasantly surprised to find a tribute to the donut in the March edition of Bicycling Magazine. The article, authored by Bettina Makalintal, detailed the best donut choices for cyclist, most of which can be applied to any other long-distance competitors.
The cake donut was deemed the best choice, pre-ride. More dense then the yeasted donut, it supplies more carbohydrates to fuel a long ride. The old-fashioned was the best to bring along for a mid-ride snack, as it's sturdy exterior makes it less likely to break apart in a backpack.
The glazed is the best for a "donut derby", which involves a lot of miles intertwined with a good deal of gluttony at various donut stops. The glazed donut is airy and not too sugar coated, which allows you more room for greater consumption.
The maple-bacon is tops, post-ride, as the protein in the bacon topping will help with muscle repair. And the venerable Boston cream is considered number one as a ultra-long ride or run reward, with the high-fat filling sure to replenish lost calories.
The article listed a number of locally-owned "bike friendly" donut shops across America, most owned by avid cyclists. The Northeast was represented by Gypsy Donut in Nyack, N.Y., and PVDONUT in Providence, R.I.
There's also a listing of the favorite donut rides across the USA. The East Coast features the Lehigh Wheelmen Association Donut Derby in Trexlertown, Pa. It involves 36-miles on the road, with several stops in which each competitor stuffs down as many donuts as possible in three minutes. The 2016 winner, Yasir Salem, a competitive cyclist and eater, downed 58 donuts in the competition!
Thursday, March 30, 2017
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
NASCAR Fitness Techniques
The NASCAR season started two weeks back, with the Daytona 500. Most people consider auto racing more of a skill than a sport, per se, bu the drivers and pit crew are much more athletic than in decades past.
Recently retired Carl Edwards attacked the weighs very seriously, and had a physique good enough to merit coverage in Muscle & Fitness. Multi-year champion Jimmy Johnson is an avid cyclist (routinely knocking out 50-mile rides), and has competed in sprint triathlons and half-marathons. Kasey Kahne, Johnson's teammate at Hendrick Motorsports, is also a runner, and has broken 1:30 for the half-marathon distance.
As far as the pit crews, in the old days, the jobs of tire changers , "gas can men," and the like the were filled by the mechanics who worked in the garage all week. In 1992, Jeff Gordon's team at Hendrick, "The Rainbow Warriors," realized that the athletic prowess of pit crew members can make the difference of a couple of seconds with each stop, depending on how fast they can jump over the wall, approach the car, get on and off the pavement, and back off the track. That can easily be the difference in winning or losing the race.
Hendrick made the pit crew separate from the craftsmen in the garage, and concentrated on fitness training for the people on the front lines on race day. They erected a state-of-the art 5000-foot facility
for conditioning, and outdoor practice areas where the crew can simulate the activities needed on race day. As far as the make-up of the crew members, beer bellies were out, lean ex-college athletes were in. Professional strength coaches were hired to supervise it all, and conditioning includes things not typically associated with NASCAR, like water training, and, yes, yoga!
Training is periodized through the year, with many "quick feet" type agility drills, plyometrics, and heat training drills to make sure the crew has the endurance for 14-hour Sundays in the middle of summer, in spacesuit-like uniforms, on sweltering pavement..
While Hendrick Motorsports was the first to recognize this approach, all the teams do it now, to complement the research, technology, mechanical prowess, driver skill, and luck that it takes to win at the sport's highest level.
My son and I attend a race every year, and love the spectacle of NASCAR racing. While it once was proudly "retro," it is now thoroughly modern in it's training techniques and approaches. There are athletes behind the wheel, and certainly behind the pit walls!
Recently retired Carl Edwards attacked the weighs very seriously, and had a physique good enough to merit coverage in Muscle & Fitness. Multi-year champion Jimmy Johnson is an avid cyclist (routinely knocking out 50-mile rides), and has competed in sprint triathlons and half-marathons. Kasey Kahne, Johnson's teammate at Hendrick Motorsports, is also a runner, and has broken 1:30 for the half-marathon distance.
As far as the pit crews, in the old days, the jobs of tire changers , "gas can men," and the like the were filled by the mechanics who worked in the garage all week. In 1992, Jeff Gordon's team at Hendrick, "The Rainbow Warriors," realized that the athletic prowess of pit crew members can make the difference of a couple of seconds with each stop, depending on how fast they can jump over the wall, approach the car, get on and off the pavement, and back off the track. That can easily be the difference in winning or losing the race.
Hendrick made the pit crew separate from the craftsmen in the garage, and concentrated on fitness training for the people on the front lines on race day. They erected a state-of-the art 5000-foot facility
for conditioning, and outdoor practice areas where the crew can simulate the activities needed on race day. As far as the make-up of the crew members, beer bellies were out, lean ex-college athletes were in. Professional strength coaches were hired to supervise it all, and conditioning includes things not typically associated with NASCAR, like water training, and, yes, yoga!
Training is periodized through the year, with many "quick feet" type agility drills, plyometrics, and heat training drills to make sure the crew has the endurance for 14-hour Sundays in the middle of summer, in spacesuit-like uniforms, on sweltering pavement..
While Hendrick Motorsports was the first to recognize this approach, all the teams do it now, to complement the research, technology, mechanical prowess, driver skill, and luck that it takes to win at the sport's highest level.
My son and I attend a race every year, and love the spectacle of NASCAR racing. While it once was proudly "retro," it is now thoroughly modern in it's training techniques and approaches. There are athletes behind the wheel, and certainly behind the pit walls!
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
NYC Fitness Mania 2017
Each February, I attend a fitness convention sponsored by SCW, the organization in which I'm certified for Personal Training. Besides getting the pre-requisite CEC's to keep my education current; the main benefit is to see the current trends in the industry, try different workouts, listen to experts, and interact with others in the field. It was held in New York this year.
This year, my classes included Bodyweight Training (perfect for outdoor workouts in a park!); Strength Training for Longevity & Vitality; and suspension rope training (think - modified gymnastic rings).
The keynote speaker was Petra Kolber, a fitness columnist, corporate consultant, and former "Instructor of they Year' from Can Fit Pro and ECA.
Ms. Kolber is a cancer survivor, and the main gist of her talk was to make exercise fun - both for the professionals she was talking to, and their clients. She said the focus of fitness training should be about making people feel good about themselves, no matter their pants or dress size. "See clients and students for where they are right now, and not what you want them to be" the author of the Happiness Challenge said. Hmm, not bad advice, for fitness training and life in general.
Fitness is about feeling vital and alive, and is part of your "happiness toolbox," she aptly points out. Ms. Kolber, a British expatriate, feels that people have drawn into themselves by hiding behind their electronic devices, and not interacting with the outside world. Society has become more mean-spirited and negative. The gym is a place of interaction, and it should be positive. If people dread exercise, they will not continue with it on their own. The challenge for fitness professionals is to make people like working out as much as they do!
She stated some sobering statistics. 85% of thoughts are negative. Adolescents spend 71/2 hours a day in front of a screen of some kind. Young children smile 400 times a day - the average adult? 20. "Depression is a worldwide epidemic," Ms. Kolber said. "Loneliness has the same effect on the body as smoking 15 cigarettes a day."
Still in tremendous shape, Ms. Kolber feels the affect of middle-age, and doesn't approach her own exercise the same way. "Move to be more vital and energetic," she urges. "Enjoy life!"
This year, my classes included Bodyweight Training (perfect for outdoor workouts in a park!); Strength Training for Longevity & Vitality; and suspension rope training (think - modified gymnastic rings).
The keynote speaker was Petra Kolber, a fitness columnist, corporate consultant, and former "Instructor of they Year' from Can Fit Pro and ECA.
Ms. Kolber is a cancer survivor, and the main gist of her talk was to make exercise fun - both for the professionals she was talking to, and their clients. She said the focus of fitness training should be about making people feel good about themselves, no matter their pants or dress size. "See clients and students for where they are right now, and not what you want them to be" the author of the Happiness Challenge said. Hmm, not bad advice, for fitness training and life in general.
Fitness is about feeling vital and alive, and is part of your "happiness toolbox," she aptly points out. Ms. Kolber, a British expatriate, feels that people have drawn into themselves by hiding behind their electronic devices, and not interacting with the outside world. Society has become more mean-spirited and negative. The gym is a place of interaction, and it should be positive. If people dread exercise, they will not continue with it on their own. The challenge for fitness professionals is to make people like working out as much as they do!
She stated some sobering statistics. 85% of thoughts are negative. Adolescents spend 71/2 hours a day in front of a screen of some kind. Young children smile 400 times a day - the average adult? 20. "Depression is a worldwide epidemic," Ms. Kolber said. "Loneliness has the same effect on the body as smoking 15 cigarettes a day."
Still in tremendous shape, Ms. Kolber feels the affect of middle-age, and doesn't approach her own exercise the same way. "Move to be more vital and energetic," she urges. "Enjoy life!"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
