Tag: run

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Turn Any Ordinary Run Into an Adventure Run

Sometimes I like to spice up a run with some strength elements. I have been refining this combination of exercises for a while and I now think its’ ready to share. Here is the idea – find a large park, or running path if you can, and incorporate strength stations within the run. You can obviously also do this with a walk as well if you like. I have a park 2.5 miles away that I ran to this morning. At this park there is a path that is 1.2 miles around. I have seven stops in the loop and I do the loop two times and then run home. Today the total milage was 7.8 miles.

Here are the stations below

  1. Push-up’s, do 20 and run to the next station
  2. Step-ups on a rock, 20 per leg
  3. Walking Lunge, 20 per leg
  4. Leg Lifts, 20
  5. Squat Jumps, 20
  6. Pull-up’s on the playground, 10
  7. Dips, 20

Here is the link to the YouTube video where I demonstrated the whole loop.

There is no magic to the order, it’s just the way it laid out on the loop I ran. Be creative and swap in other things you like for stuff you don’t. I obviously left out burpees because I really don’t like them. This is a great workout if you are training for a Tough Mudder, Spartan, or DEKA event this coming season. Get out there, challenge yourself and have some fun.

I am not sure if this will link to Strava but I am giving it a shot. https://www.strava.com/activities/11142600624

Above is my new cover art for my Fitness Anywhere, YouTube series. Let me know what you think.

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2,500 of Anything is A Lot

On this blog, in the past I have wrote about the motivational virtues of the Apple Watch health rings and all the badges and awards that go along with it. Well, this weekend I hit, what I think, is a pretty big milestone. Hit 2,500 times I closed my move ring on my watch. That’s about 6 years, 8 months worth of daily closures. It takes 500 calories of movement to close that ring. I figure I logged about 2.86 million calories expended in total. Follow my math…

My watch tells me that almost two years worth, 623 times, I hit 400% of my move goal and 1,718 times I double my move goal. So even if my math is off a little, it’s a lot of calories.

So what’s the point? The point is we all need those little things to either shoot for, give us a reason to stay on track, or a little brag point once we hit it. In the Apple watch rings there are several things to help you with all of the above. The features are easy to access and requires absolutely no additional work from you aside from the actual moving around standpoint.

I am proud of this milestone because what it says about my consistency. As we move through our forties and into our fifties working to stay healthy and vibrant, consistency is the key to success. Now that I am in my sixties I feel like I am cashing in on all the work from the previous couple decades. The Apple watch rings didn’t necessarily change my behavior but they did create a paper trail that can can celebrated.

If you have an Apple watch take a look at the “Go For It” section in the rings app. There you will see what’s coming up for you to celebrate. Don’t forget about the monthly challenges also in the app. They are a great little mini motivator that changes every month. Read more about closing your rings here

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Plan an Event

Today I completed my second half marathon of the year and I had a great time. Last month I did the race with Elizabeth and our daughter Hannah and today with our son Davis.

What I find very interesting is all the positive things that happen just for signing up for an event. First, it keeps you accountable to a time based goal. More important, it gives you an opportunity to invite others to either do the event with you or come along for support. When we did the Huntington Beach Half I invited our family members to participate, and six people signed up for and did the 5K. For all six this was their very first event. We had such a great time and had I not invited them it would have never happened.

5K’ers

This week I did something fun and I signed upfor a 50 mile gravel race in Arkansas. I’ve never done one and I don’t even have a gravel bike but I have plenty of time and I ride about 450 miles per month.

There is something very energizing about trying something new. That is my thought for you, consider signing up for an event this year. There are so many great things to do, especially in the spring and fall. Invite a buddy to do it with you- the world is out there waiting.

Here is the gravel race I’m doing

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Using Strava Segments for Fun and Motivation

One of the things I love about Strava is the “Segments” feature. Segments a time trials of various lengths built into the places we run, ride and recreate every day. They have their own leaderboards which makes it very fun to track your progress against your rivals. The is a way I like to use segments that has nothing to do with other people. I love using it to gage my current bike/run fitness level against my former self. This is a story about Current Ralph versus History Ralph.

Let me give you an example I am actually quite proud of. There is a segment here in Pleasanton California called the Marilyn Kane trail. It is a 1.5 mile, L shaped paved path that is pretty flat. I have been running this trail for many years and I have now done it 99 times. My personal fastest time on this segment was set back in 2011, I was 48 years old. As my fitness has improved this year and I could see my mile splits getting faster, it was looking like if I really busted my butt I had a realistic chance of beating my former self.

Last week I decided to go after it. The trail start is about 3 miles from the house so I used that as my warm up to get my heart rate up a few times before I hit the start. Here we go 1.5 miles of pain, lets see if I can do it.

The Segment

Yes! I did it, I was able to beat a PR on a segment I ran 13 years ago. I think we assume, that as we age, we are just automatically going to be slower and that is just not the case. If I didn’t have this history and all the data that goes with it I would have not had any idea this was possible. I find it very empowering and motivating to have this information. This has nothing to do with anyone else, this is just Today Ralph versus History Ralph. My goal is to stay as close to History Ralph as long as I possibly can.

Segment Map

Remember, everyday you workout you are laying down new history for future you and giving yourself a better chance at a powerful and strong life. So, Strava Segments are not just about being competitive with other people, they can be so much more.

Here is my advice – Find a few segments in your general area that you can use as your fitness tester. I have several for running and cycling. Some are hilly and others flat. Make those your fitness gage and use all the great tools provided in Strava to measure and track your fitness level. Thank you Strava for creating such great tools. I am not compensated to pump up Strava, I actually gladly pay for an annual membership because I think it is so good. You can follow me on Strava @RalphRajs

Post Segment Video – I was pretty psyched.

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Planning Your Weekly Workout Schedule

Probably the biggest key to my workout consistency is having a weekly routine that I don’t have to think about from day to day. I have had this routine for at least the last 15 years. Depending on race preparation, I have made some adjustments but the main structure has worked through it all.

My point isn’t for you to adopt this particular plan. My point is when you thoughtfully layout your week, knowing where the challenges are, you are much more likely to stay on plan. Here is my thinking for my schedule and the reasoning behind it. I have found with this schedule I don’t get bored because every day is something new and I have managed to avoid injury logging 1,200 miles running and 5,000 biking annually the last 15 years.

Saturday and Sunday I have the most time available to workout. Saturday I do my long bike ride and Sunday I do my long run. Three hours on the bike, that’s 50 miles (give or take 2-3) and 9-12 miles running on Sunday depending what I am training for. The weekend workouts covers about 45% of my weekly volume.

Monday and Friday are active recovery and strength days. I lift weights on those two days emphasizing upper body with a little bit of lower body mixed in. I ride my city bike for an hour around town just having fun being on the bike. I keep my heart rate fairly low and focus on spinning and recovery.

Tuesday and Thursday are intermediate run days of 7 miles. I will mix in interval days, hill days, or just keep it chill depending how I am feeling.

Wednesday is intermediate bike day, typically about 30 miles. It’s a great way to break up the run days.

You can scale this how ever works for you and for the sports you enjoy. The point is to have a plan that you don’t have to recreate every week. It will make being consistent so much easier. I did a TikTok and Instagram video on this if you want to check it out.

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The Joy of Family and Exercise

One of the things I believed I am called to do is help people enjoy the benefits of exercise in their lives. I also believe many of us in the fitness industry feel the same way. For me there was no better place to start than within my own extended family. Yesterday was a huge day for us out at the Surf City Half Marathon and 5K in Huntington Beach CA. We had six family members participate in the 5K who had never done an organized event before. My wife Elizabeth, my daughter Hannah and I did the half marathon.

This all started back in October when I organized a Walktober Step Challenge for the family and has continued to blossom. We now have 11 people in our Family Strava Club where we can recognize and encourage each other daily. About half of us are on MyZone so we can encourage there as well.

The link between physical health and mental health are well documented. Getting regular exercise you enjoy, being out in nature, and having a strong social network are key components. We can do so much to help each other’s mental and physical health with just a few simple steps, like inviting friends and family to participate in an event you are doing. The 5K group went to breakfast after and started planning their next event and how they want to improve their times. The ball is rolling and that makes me very happy. We have the opportunity to help each other make this the best year ever.

As for me – I ran a 1:46, which is OK but it was top 10% in my age group and top 9% overall out of 8,200 runners. I haven’t raced since pre-covid so it’s nice to be back. #fitness Myzone® Strava #runner #mentalhealth #mentalfitness #fitnessmotivation #fitnessinspiration

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Approach Your Fitness Like Beating a Video Game

I was talking to a friend the other day who is an avid gamer and also happens to work in the video game industry. When I talk to him about his gaming and leveling up, or acquiring new items in a game he just lights up. He was in San Francisco for a work trip and I was telling him all the cool places he should go while visiting. He said he would have to walk like five miles to see all the things I had on my list.

In my head I am thinking that’s a pretty cool 5 mile route. In his head he is not sure he could make it.

That got me thinking how being fit gives you access to places and experiences that others don’t have. The fitter you are the more ground you can cover in a given period of time and the more you get to see and do. Much like a video game, the better you are the more in the game you get to experience.

As people’s fitness improves as does their confidence to explore and try new things. This opens up all new worlds of life enriching experiences IRL- in real life.

Just start, you never know what you will discover even in your own neighborhood.

Crissy Field

New Year’s Day Hike at Crissy Field and Fort Point
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Happy New Year -Half

We are officially half way though 2021. Now is a great time to do. “”Map Check” on your ‘21 goals and objectives. Are you on track, in the weeds and need to course correct, or ahead of plan?

Take a minute to evaluate and maybe even scrap the old plan and create a new one. The point is check in, evaluate, determine if you are where you want to be and then do something about it.

For me, I am happy with where I am at the halfway point of the year in my health and fitness. I am on track to get 1,200 run miles and 6,000 bike miles which are my ‘21 goals. I have made a huge effort to foam roll and stretch this year and it has made a significant difference.

Take away- do your personal map check and make necessary adjustments.

Our Father’s Day workout at Red Rocks Denver
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Workout Variety – Point to Point

I have no problem staying motivated to run and ride. But without being able to add in organized events I have found ways to create my own challenges.

One way I have found is to do point to point runs. You need a way to get back, hopefully a friend will cover you but this opens the door to all kinds of new adventures.

This last Sunday I did something I have been wanting to do a while and that is to get into the hills by my house and run a to the end of the trail. It’s only 8 miles but the elevation gain made it very challenging. Link to my Strava

Point to point trail run

If you are looking to create a challenge for yourself consider a point to point adventure.