Fit Monday! Locals Workout Coogee

Every Monday we are going to upload a quick and easy workout that we are loving for that week that is based around the Eastern beaches of Sydney.

There some awesome super steep hills at Coogee which are perfect for a hill sprint session!

WORKOUT

Start with a good 5-10 minute warm up run followed by some leg swings and stride throughs.

Set One – Dundas Street

3  x sprints to half way up Dundas Street.

1 sprint the full way up Dundas Street (to corner of Rainbow Street).

Recovery jog to the bottom of Rainbow Street for set two.

Set Two – Rainbow Street

Starting at the bottom of Rainbow Street (at Wolseley Road) complete a 10 minute set of as many hills / stairs as possible. Alternate between a hill sprint and a stair sprint.

Set Three – Oberon Street

3 x hill run up Oberon Street to the intersection of Arden Street. This is a much longer hill, so build into it. Recovery is the jog back to Wolseley Road.

Warm down with a 10 minute jog and a good stretch.

Good luck! Enjoy!

A different (more enjoyable!) way of setting goals

At the start of each season, I like to set goals. Why? Because they bring a sense of purpose to my day and also a sense of calm. I feel a lot more centered and on track when I know I am working towards something. It is also really motivating to have a purpose to your life and training.

But this Autumn, I haven’t really been feeling it. We often set goals around things we feel obliged to do, or what we have always been passionate about. The best thing about setting short term goals is that they can be about anything!

1. What are you passionate about right now?

What are you most excited about or passionate about at the moment. I often think we get stuck in a rut with our goals because we set them about the same things all the time. That is the best thing about short term goals – set them around what you are passionate about at the moment. This will make you excited about achieving your goals and also bring a sense of fun to your goal setting. I like to break down my goals into a focus on training, nutrition and health.

2. Daily Focus

Break down your goals into a small weekly or even daily focus. Make your daily focus simple and achievable. Something that you don’t mind doing every day.

3. Values

What are your top three values at the moment. What three aspects of your life are most important to you? Are your goals in line with your values? We often set goals that have nothing to do with who we are as a person. When you are setting goals, always take the time to make sure that they are in line with your bigger values. It may just mean a small shift to your goals – but if they are in line with your values, then you are much more likely to achieve them.

Good luck guys and enjoy!

 

 

Fit Monday! Locals Workout

Every Monday we are going to upload a quick and easy workout that we are loving for that week that is based around the Eastern beaches of Sydney.

This week’s workout is a high intensity strength / sprint circuit at Mark’s Park Tamarama.

WORKOUT

3-5 sets as fast as possible

• 10 Lunge Jumps (each leg)
• 15 Pull Ups (Beginners / Intermediate on parallel bars) OR 10 chin ups (Advanced on chin up bars)
• 20 Push Ups

Run to bottom of stairs on north side of Mark’s Park.

5 x stair sprint with 50m sprint across the park.

Slow jog back recovery to bottom of stairs.

Good luck! Enjoy!

You’re an athlete! So start acting like it!

See how happy running makes you!

I had a nice little wake up call on the weekend. I was exhausted. Completely and utterly smashed. And not just from the 13K run we did on Saturday morning (which did smash me!), but from life! Training for a half marathon is tough. You are demanding so much more of yourself, but yet, very few of us make any other changes to our lifestyle.

If you want to train and perform like an athlete – then you need to start living like one (at least to some degree).

Here are a few things that athletes tend to do really well and which you could definitely benefit from!

1. They plan, plan, plan.

Almost everything an athlete does is planned. Their meals are planned. Their recover is planned, their training is planned. Even what they wear to training is planned. What you can take away from this – you need a plan!

If you were managing yourself as an athlete, what would you do?

1. Plan your week of training. Start the week strong and taper towards Saturday’s run. Treat Saturday like your competition day. Put your bigger sessions at the start of the week and make Friday your lightest session of the week.
2. Plan your rest days. Rest days are days of complete rest. Not recovery, but rest. Your body needs it and your mind needs it. It will make you a stronger and fitter athlete. So plan at least one rest day in each week.
3. Plan your meals. I didn’t on Saturday and was starving at a wedding at 5pm. People thought I was a bit psycho the way I attacked the bread on the table. If you want some ideas around what to eat before and after training, read our article on training nutrition here.
4. Plan your recovery. Rest and recovery are two different things. You need to recover well if you want to perform well. Planning recovery is crucial to making sure you get to the start line injury free. We did a great article two weeks ago on recovery, which you can read here.

2. Athletes are selfish!

All good athletes are selfish on some level. They put themselves and their needs first. They have to if they want to perform at their peak. What you can take away from this – is that it is OK to be a bit selfish for the next month or two. You can’t increase your training load to training for a Half Marathon whilst continuing to live life as normal. Something’s gotta give. Try not to take on too many extra obligations at work for  the next few weeks. Try and leave a bit early some afternoons to come home and have some down time. Try to carve out more time in your week to sleep. Try and book in a massage every now and again.

3. Training comes first, social life second

Athletes often have no social life. Perhaps that’s why they go off the rails when they finish competing. Now, I am definitely not saying that you shouldn’t have a social life, but if 90% of your week is focused on training for an event, don’t blow it with a big night of drinking every week. Just pull back a bit on the social front. Sometimes it’s ok to say no! Drinking affects your training so much more than you realise. It sets you back in terms of training, you miss out on a night’s sleep, you feel like crap the next day and you make dumb food choices. So have a look at your diary for the next few weeks and try and factor in some low-key nights with friends instead of massive nights’ out.

See you Saturday!

Kimmy

Fit Monday!

Start your week off feeling fit! Starting this week, every Monday we are going to upload a quick and easy workout that we are loving for that week. It will be really local so you can come and do it with us, do it by yourself or with some mates! Let us know how you go!

SOFT SAND SET AT BONDI

Starting at South Ramp

• 5 burpees (advanced only)
• 20 pushups
• 20 squats

Repeat at each ramp, running all the way to the North End. Jog back to South Ramp. Try and complete under 17 minutes for advanced and 25 minutes for intermediate / beginner.

 

 

Enjoy the Toughness!

Sometimes I really really hate that person running in front of me. They are smiling, and laughing, and encouraging and …… I want push them into the gutter.   

I bet they didn’t get up twice last night, I bet they don’t have to deal with what I did this week. I bet they just spent their time sleeping and recovering and doing yoga or some shit.

OMG, imagine thinking like this……. lucky none of us ever ever think this way………….

So, aside from showing my versatility as a writer and also being able to swear a little, the point I was trying to make was that we all have days when it seems like everyone else is doing it easy whilst we suffer away in a world of pain.

Basically, unless you only go for leisurely strolls or slow jogs every now and again, training is tough. Some days are tougher than others.  It is challenging to your body and to your mind.  What I would love for us to start to do is to be able to enjoy the tough! 

What good runners and athletes are able to do is enjoy the toughness of training. And the good thing is – you can do this too – it is just a skill that you can train yourself to become better at – just like any other. Enjoy pushing yourself, enjoy seeing what your body is capable, enjoy burning lungs and tired legs, knowing that they are a sign that your body will be getting stronger and faster.

I know this sounds much easier than it actually is – but developing mental toughness and learning to enjoy pushing yourself is something that will help us to improve as runners much faster than any other technique.

So, my tips for learning to enjoy your runs!

1. Focus on the positives

Training is good for your health. Mentally and physically. It gets the endorphins flowing, it makes you stronger, happier and healthier. We train in the most beautiful locations in the world. It gives you a break from the world and from technology. It is a chance to focus on yourself. It is a chance to breath fresh air and enjoy being outside. So many positive things to focus on. Pick some and think about them when you are training. Or adopt a positive affirmation. I love reminding myself that I am fit and strong! The more I hurt, the more I say it. I am fit and strong. I am fit and strong. I am fit and strong.

2. Acknowledge that you are going to hurt at some points

Yep, at some stage you are going to hurt. Your legs, your feet, your arms, your back, your core, your lungs, your heart, your head. Hopefully not all at once. That is training for you – it’s what you signed up for. Enjoy it! Maybe it means it is working. Maybe it means next week you will be a bit stronger and a bit fitter. Maybe it means that you won’t hurt so much on race day.

3. Have a goal

Having a goal to focus on is the absolute best way to stay positive and on track with your training. It gives your training a purpose and makes the hurt worthwhile. So set yourself a goal and remind yourself of it before each session.

4. Be prepared

Being prepared as best you can for training will help to stop the excuses and negative thoughts that enter your head when you are running or training. If you have eaten well, hydrated properly, slept well, stretched and recovered properly, then you are more likely to feel good and less likely give yourself a constant stream of excuses to stop.

5. Smile, chat and laugh

Yep – be that annoying person in front! Enjoy running! Enjoy being fit and strong and healthy! Inspire and encourage others!

P.S. East Side Crew is trying to raise $20,000 for the Black Dog Institute to help raise awareness and support for treatment of depression and mental health disorders. You can either join our team (and run with us!) or support us at our amazing Every Day Hero Page!

 

Better Recovery = Better Performance

Recovery sounds so boring, it’s like the homework of training. But think about this for a second, recovery is where your body becomes fitter and stronger. You do small amounts of damage to your muscles during a session, and then when you finish your session, your body starts to repair itself. This repair process can be slow or fast, depending on what you do to help. The faster you can recover, the more you can push yourself at training and the faster your fitness and strength will improve!!! Sounds amazing right!

On the flip side, if you don’t recover properly you feel tired, your body feels heavy and you increase the chances of becoming injured or sick.

When you are tired and fatigued, we all know that even getting to training feels like a struggle, let alone pushing yourself once you are there. So if you don’t recover properly between sessions, you miss the opportunity to get the most out of yourself at training and reach your fitness goals. So YEAH!! Let’s recover properly!

Four Simple Steps to Better Recovery

Eat Well!

I have posted the last few weeks about what to eat before and after training. But in a nut-shell, your body needs protein and carbohydrates within 30-60 minutes after you finish an intense training session. Eggs on toast, protein based smoothies, yoghurt with muesli and berries are all great options.

Supplements are also really handy when you are training intensely. Try to have a good quality fish oil tablet at least twice a day as it helps to lubricate your joints and reduce inflammation.  Magnesium is great for helping to relax muscles and prevent cramping.  A good quality multivitamin is also really beneficial when you are training hard as it helps to ensure that you are getting your basic nutrient requirements each day.

Use Water

Firstly, hydrate! You need to hydrate to replace the fluid and electrolytes lost in sweat. Water is completely fine for most sessions, but if it is an extremely strenuous session or you have lost a lot of sweat, then coconut water is full of natural electrolytes and is great for post-training recovery.

At home, use these water treatments to help remove lactic acid from your muscles.  Have either a  hot / cold shower where you blast yourself under the cold for 30 seconds followed by 2 minutes of nice hot water or otherwise a bath in epsom salts is great for recovering and also relaxing!

Incorporate some Rest Days

The body repairs and strengthens itself in the time between workouts. If you are continuously training without giving yourself a rest, then you are actually weakening your body and overtime, injuries will result.  Rest days are also important mentally as well as physically.  Incorporating a set rest day into your training program takes away that  “should I train, shouldn’t I train” mental battle we all go through some days.

Give yourself at least one full day each week where you aren’t doing any training.  Your body actually builds strength and fitness in the recovery days.

If you start to feel a slight niggle, this is your bodies system of warning you that you are doing too much. Pull back your training regime for a few days and give yourself one or two days extra rest that week.

Read more about why rest is so important here.

Stretch! 

Stretching after a run and on your rest days will help you keep your body flexible and may your muscles from becoming tight and prone to injury.  Here are some simple stretches that you should make sure you do after training and again at night when you get home.

1. Calf Stretch

Stand about three feet from a wall, feet at shoulder width and flat on the ground. Put your  hands on the wall with your arms straight for support. Lean your hips forward and bend your knees slightly to stretch your calves.

2. Hamstring Stretch

Lie down with one leg straight up in the air, the other bent with foot flat on the ground. Loop a towel over the arch of the lifted foot, and gently pull on the towel as you push against it with your foot to the point where your muscles contract.

3. Quad Stretch

Stand on one foot, with one hand on a wall for balance. Hold the other foot with the opposite hand and raise the heel of the lifted foot to the buttocks (or as close as comfortably possible), stretching your quadriceps. Keep your body upright throughout. Change legs and repeat.

4. Hip and Lower Back Stretch

Sit on the ground with your legs crossed. Lift your right leg and cross it over the left, which should remain bent. Hug the right leg to your chest and twist the trunk of your body to look over your right shoulder. Change legs and repeat (ie: looking over your left sholder)

5. Groin Stretch

Seated, put the soles of your feet together. With your elbows on the inside of your knees, gradually lean forward and gently press your knees toward the ground.

6. Hip Flexor Stretch

Get into the kneeling position on one knee with the other leg out in front as per the image above. Squeeze your glutes on your back leg to push your hips forward.

Fit, Healthy and Happy! Join our Autumn Challenge!

Fit, Healthy and Happy! Why the Challenge will work for you!

I am often asked why the Challenge works so well.  Our Summer Challenge was our most successful Challenge to date and we couldn’t be prouder of all the results our Crew members have achieved through their hard work and dedication.  We have put together our tips on why the Challenge will work for you and also some testimonials for our Crew members who achieved amazing results and have really improved all aspects of their life – their fitness, strength, health and happiness.

REGISTER NOW!

You can join the Autumn Challenge now! Spaces are limited and we will commence with a preparation week on 7 April. Click here to register and find out more about the Challenge!

Why the Challenge works so well

Achieving sustainable weight loss isn’t tricky if you are provided with the right tools and have the determination to work towards your goals.

As part of the Challenge, we ask everyone to set themselves at least one fitness related goal and one lifestyle related goal.  Setting strong goals helps you to stay on track and motivated, especially when the times are tough.  If you make the decision to lose weight or change your lifestyle, then the first step you need to do is to sit down and set yourself some strong goals. We all know that goals need to be simple, measurable and achievable. Make sure they are in line with your values and the way in which you want to live your life.

We then take care of all the rest.

Nutrition

I don’t believe in cutting out whole food groups or severely restricting calories.  There is so much good, healthy food out there, that I believe that it is just a matter of educating people about what is the best food to help them achieve the results that they are after. I love that people who have previously struggled with food are able to establish really healthy and sustainable eating patterns on the Challenge. The Challenge meal plans reflect my approach to food. Our recipes are full of nutritious whole foods that nourish you and provide you with all your nutritional requirements. Our meals are tasty but don’t leave you feeling too full or bloated. We provide meal plans and delicious recipes for every day of the Challenge. In addition, we help to educate our Crew members on how to nourish and fuel their bodies for option performance, health and recovery.

Training

Our East Side Crew group training sessions are designed to ensure that your body is continually being challenged and that you are constantly achieving results and gains at training. We combine a variety of different training sessions and intensity levels to help reduce body fat, increase fitness and strength and develop lean muscle mass.

Motivation

Why does the Challenge work more than a lot of the other programs out there? It is because you are doing it with a group of real people that are there to support and motivate you. You aren’t left feeling alone, you can resonate with others who are struggling and you are inspired by the results others achieve. We help you to make the Challenge work for you and your lifestyle, which is why it works so well!

Results

Read about the amazing results our Crew members achieved during the Challenge and watch our testimonial videos here!

REGISTER NOW!

You can join the Autumn Challenge now! Spaces are limited and we will commence with a preparation week on 7 April. Click here to register and find out more about the Challenge!

Summer Challenge Results and Testimonials!

Our Summer Challenge was our most successful Challenge to date and we couldn’t be prouder of all the results our Crew members have achieved through their hard work and dedication.  Here is what some of our amazing Crew members had to say about the Challenge.

REGISTER NOW!

You can join the Autumn Challenge now! Spaces are limited and we will commence with a preparation week on 7 April. Click here to register and find out more about the Challenge!

Beth Glancey, Bronte

Watch Beth’s testimonial video below!

Geraldine Warren, Bondi (Goal = increase in strength and lean muscle mass)

Thank you ESC! What a great 5 weeks it has been! I absolutely loved the challenge and have never been stronger! I have learnt so much from the challenge from nutrition through to knowing there is an extra level to push to in training (and how many burpees it takes to work off a pack of fries from Maccas!). I would encourage anyone and everyone to do the ESC challenge. It is perfectly tailored for any level. I personally found it one of the most positive, holistic things I have done for myself which carried into every area of my life. I wish I was this positive, focused and switched on all the time! Thanks Kimmy!

Peter Bland, Bronte (Goal = increase in strength and muscle tone)

Watch Pete’s testimonial video below!

Gillian Breen, Coogee (Goal = weight loss of 4kgs)

Apart from the desire to lose excess pounds, there was much more I was hoping to achieve from the Challenge! I wanted to take a step back from the hectic Sydney lifestyle to focus on my own personal well being.

The Challenge has definitely surpassed all my expectations and I have accomplished what I set out to achieve and more!

Whilst at times difficult the informative  and interesting articles, weekly motivating and inspiring posts, well executed shopping lists, easy to prepare recipes, encouraging crew members, supportive friends, shared knowledge, extra training sessions, fun grocery shopping experiences and the increased signs of improvement helped me stick to the ‘Bible’ and reap the rewards!! It surely did promote a good ethos of clean eating, healthy living and positive exercising which can be continued on after the Challenge has ended.

Belinda Bullivant, Bondi (Goal = weight loss and increase in fitness)

Thank you so much Kimmy for the best Challenge yet! It was the perfect way to get back on track after the silly season. The recipes were delicious and easy to make for us time poor people. My training and overall being was greatly improved. The extra training sessions and articles provided on training and nutrition were fantastic and as a bonus I lost 4cm each from my hips and waist. Bring on the next challenge – I can’t wait!

FIRST TIMERS! TIPS FOR RUNNING YOUR FIRST HALF MARATHON!

Have you set yourself a goal of running your first half marathon?First of all – congratulations!  The half marathon is a great event to take on! It is a challenging event, but something that is definitely achievable and rewarding if you put the work in and prepare yourself for the race.  Getting started training for a half marathon can seem daunting – especially if it is your first race.  But you will see that the training program for a half marathon consists of lots of smaller runs built up over time.  Nothing beats just hitting the pavement – so get out there!

Here are some of our tips to help you prepare for your first race.

SET A GOAL

Getting started with your training, it is a good idea to set some goals for what you want to get out of the race.  If this is your first race, your goal might be to finish! And that is perfectly fine and the goal that most first timers have!

If you are a seasoned racer, your goal is probably closer linked to what time you want to finish in.  Either way, setting goals will help you to stay on track and provide you with the motivation you need to persist with your training.  It will also help you to work out what pace you need to be running at for each session.

If you have a goal finishing time for the race, use our pace chart below to help you work out a pace for each run you do.

STAYING MOTIVATED

Truly the best bit about training for a half marathon is the training! Enjoy the small victories along the way! It will go along way to helping you stay motivated.

Also, be conscious of the fact that sometimes you won’t feel good running. Some days will be a lot harder than others to drag yourself out the door and hit the pavement.  You might hear a lot of runners say, there is no such thing as a bad run – and it’s true! Enjoy the training, even the crappy sessions – as they are helping to make you a stronger and faster runner!

CROSS TRAINING

Strength is an extremely important part of becoming a better and of course, stronger, runner.  Strength training will help you to prevent injuries and reduce imbalances in your body.

Runners often avoid strength training as they think that it will make them bulk up and slow down.  A lot of runners also think that strength training is wasted on them – nothing will get them fitter or stronger than hitting out lots of kilometres on the pavement.  Neither of these things are true! Adding regular strength training to your program will not only help you to become a faster and stronger runner, but will also help you to avoid injury.

Check out our article on strength training for runners here.

Going the distance!

Two bits of good news! Firstly, you don’t have to start out running huge distances each week.  Your longest run of the week only needs to be around 8 – 10K for your first week of training (which should be around 12 weeks out from your race).

The second piece of good news is, you don’t have to run massive distances all week. Aim to include one long run in your program, and then an additional 2 – 3 shorter, faster paced runs during the week.

Interval training and hill training will help you to become a much stronger and faster runner.

Check out our sample training program here.

REST DAYS

What are rest days? They are days when you allow your body time to recover and strengthen.  There is one key thing you need to do on your rest day……….REST!! No training whatsoever, mentally and physically this is really important. You will build more strength and fitness if you allow yourself breaks, rather than trying to flog yourself every day.

MISSED TRAINING!

If you miss a session, or even a week of training – don’t stress and definitely don’t give up! Sometimes a missed week of training can actually do wonders for you. You might find it has reignited your motivation and given your body a well deserved rest.  Two main points about missing training. Try to get back on track as soon as possible, the week you resume running, scale back speedwork and long run mileage by 10 per cent. The following week, do your normal training. If your break was because of injury, however, you need to reduce your weekly mileage for up to three weeks before getting back on track, and may need to target a later race.

Most of all! Enjoy the journey!

Happy running!