Running - Chafing - & Disney This Weekend!

09/26/2012

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WOW! What a crazy last week I had!  I started off Monday by traveling up to the Florida Panhandle. Monday I got in INSANITY Max Interval Plyo. As many times as I do each INSANITY workout INSANITY never fails to kick my butt! Tuesday I was able to get in a fast 5k on the treadmill at Gold's Gym.  Wednesday was great with a nice scenic 8 mile run along the beaches of Destin, FL. After getting home on Thursday I was exhausted from travel and didn't have much time before heading to a Tampa Bay Rays game. So I utilized INSANITY Fast & Furious to get in a quick INSANITY workout before the game. I joined a tennis league here in Tampa & my first match was on Friday. I lost. But was able to get in a great tennis workout before my 20 mile run Saturday morning with the Blue Shark Running Team. Getting in 20 miles before the heat in Florida calls for extreme dedication. I was awake by 3:00am Saturday morning while people were still out at the bars & started my 20 mile run by 3:30am. Luckily I will only have one more 20 mile training run before the New York City Marathon in November.

If you haven't tried the INSANITY Fast & Furious workout, GET ON IT! It is only $20 and will kick your butt! I love having it as an option when I am short on time but need to get in a workout. Sometimes, although not often hopefully, life throws you a curveball & a 20 minute workout is all you have time for. If you are interested in purchasing Fast & Furious click here. If you have not purchased INSANITY yet when you purchase it from InsaneMarathon.com Fast & Furious is provided as a FREE gift.   Click here to purchase INSANITY.

Running as many long distance training runs as I do & countless marathons and 1/2 marathons I have had my experience with chafing. In one of my race packets last fall/winter I received a sample of a product called Skin Sake. After Body Glide had failed me countless times I decided to give it a try. What a product! I didn't chafe or anything. I was excited about this and as I started ramping up my milage I went to my local running store to pick some up! I was sad to find that it was unavailable. I contacted Skin Sake & they were kind enough to send me a sample of their new athletic product to review. They also sent me a sample specifically catered to females. I plan on using this sample and writing about my experience with it for everyone. I do not work for Skin Sake & will be unbiased on my review. But Body Glide has failed me too many times - so Skin Sake - don't let me chafe! I will also be looking for a female to try the other sample they sent. I will post more on that soon!

This weekend my long run consists of the Disney Tower of Terror weekend. I will be running the Disney Halloween 5k in the morning followed by the Tower of Terror 10 miler at night. Should be a great event. Disney running events never disappoint. 

New York City Marathon keeps getting closer and closer. INSANITY Marathon Training continues to make me feel stronger every day! If you haven't received your FREE training program please click here. I look forward to helping you exceed your goals!

-James B. 

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Hooters - Weekend of Races - STAY SAFE!

09/16/2012

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INSANITY marathon training is on track.  This past week I was able to get in 3 INSANITY workouts (Max Cardio Conditioning, Max Interval Circuit, ASYLUM: Strength).  This week I changed things up and added in some Insanity: The Asylum into training.  I felt like I needed some strength training and removed Core Cardio and Balance to allow Asylum: Strength.  It was definitely rough & I felt the muscle burn the next day. Results and Recovery formula always helps after a strength workout or any tough workout for that matter.  You should try it yourself! One of InsaneMarathon.com's facebook fans Nikki T. let me know her feedback using Results and Recovery "The Results & Recovery drink has a great taste. I used it on the 2nd day of double digit training runs & I feel it helped in my quicker recovery."  

Running workouts for the week included a 9 mile run in Miami (5 treadmill 4 with the Brickell Run Club).  A 5k race and a 1 mile race on Saturday at the One Step Closer to the Cure 5k & 1 mile event in St. Petersburg.  Today I finished the Hooters 10k Classic race in Clearwater. 

This coming week the milage ramps up with a 3 mile, 8 mile and 20 mile run.  3 MAX

I posted this on Facebook today and wanted to take a second and post in on here as well: 
"Remember to always listen to your body. Stay within your limits. Slow down if you need to. Take more breaks if needed. Go to the doctor for preventative checkups. Just being active & trying your best is better than doing nothing at all. Stay healthy & stay safe." 
Safety should always be your #1 priority.  If something doesn't feel right go with your instinct and slow down or stop.  Consult with your physician before starting any strenuous workout routine.  

If you are not a fan of InsaneMarathon.com on facebook - please like us today. Facebook.com/insanemarathon

-James B.
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17 miler recap

09/09/2012

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When do you get your long marathon training runs in?  Living in Florida it is very hard to get in quality miles before the temperature becomes unbearable.  Luckily starting in August and running through February there is a running club in Tampa called the Blue Sharks Running Team that meets at 5:30am for a 10 mile supported run.  The organizer of the Blue Sharks, Fred, and some other volunteers set up free water and gatorade stops about every 2 miles.  This group is my long run lifesaver!  I know that I NEED to get up Saturday morning because my support group is out there running, there is fluids on route, and the group support helps push me to complete my miles.  The only problem is the supported route is only 10 miles and like this past Saturday, my required mileage was well above 10.  I needed to run 17 miles to be on track for NYC training.  

So how did I get in my 17 miles?  I set my alarm for 3:30am, didn't get out of bed until 3:45am - dressed, made two bottles of water.  Made a to-go bottle of Energy & Endurance.  Packed them in a mini cooler.  Drove to Davis Islands and started running before the group run started.  I was able to get in 4.5 miles on my own.  Ran back to the marina started the 10 mile group run with the Blue Sharks.  Ran most of those miles with Karen & Lindsay who are both also running the NYC Marathon.  Watched one of the Carnival cruise ships come into port which is always fun to watch.  After finishing the group run I went back out there and finished the extra milage with Karen.  17 miles done.  I was exhausted.  My average pace was not bad.  The temperature was just over 80 degrees at 4am.  Fun marathon training run in Florida!!

How do you get in your long runs?  Do you live in an environment where you have to beat the heat? Maybe there is another obstacle you have to deal with to get in your milage.  What do you do to push though?

One thing I tried differently during my long run was mixing together some Energy and Endurance to drink in between my 4.5, 10 and final miles.  I used in in place of GU gel that I would typically consume.  I had a favorable experience.  No stomach problems or lack of energy.  I still find E&E to work best for INSANITY workouts and 3-8 mile runs as the effects last for about one hour.  Click the photo below to try out Energy & Endurance. 
This week my training consists of 3 days of running 3 days of INSANITY and 1 rest day.  If you haven't downloaded one of our INSANITY marathon (or 1/2) training programs what are you waiting for?  

As always I am here to help your succeed with your training and goals.  Feel free to contact me at anytime. 

-James B.
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Oak Brook 1/2 Recap - Insanity: The Asylum Gold Medal

09/07/2012

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On Labor Day I ran the Oak Brook 1/2 Marathon as part of my INSANITY marathon training plan.  Like most marathon training plans, ours calls for a tune up race halfway though your marathon training.  Luckily there was a half marathon available while I was i at my marathon training halfway point!  I have raced many races in the Chicagoland area but I had never participated in the Oak Brook 1/2 before.  I imagined it as a flat, fast course.  I was wrong.  When the race started the temperature was hovering around 74 degrees.  At the finish it was right around 80.  Definitely a warm morning for Labor Day in Chicago.  I ran into some Marathon Maniacs at the start of the race (Heather Zeigler and Dave Mari to name a couple).  We took a quick group photo (see below) before running the 13.1 miles! 

The Oak Brook 1/2 started right next to McDonalds corporate headquarters and ran mostly on local bike paths and crushed limestone trails.  It was a very hilly and tough course. I felt strong during the race, I did not PR.  For the conditions I kept the same time as I did for my last 1/2 marathon, which was on a really flat course at the Rock & Roll Chicago 1/2.  INSANITY has really helped me with hill training even though I don't run hills in Florida. I would recommend this race to seasoned runners looking for a challenging 1/2 marathon.  Beginners and 1st time 1/2 marathoners should look for a flat, fast, popular race to gain confidence and truly enjoy the 1/2 marathon experience.  If you would like some 1/2 marathon recommendations send me an e-mail or comment below!

About a month ago the INSANITY: The Asylum Facebook page was running a summer contest for its fans.  Every couple of days they would ask people to go out and perform one of the sports performance routines from the program (tennis, swimming, long jump, hurdles, etc). You were to take two photos of yourself doing the activity, the first photo while doing the DVD workout and the second performing the workout in 'real life' on the court, in the pool, etc.  I decided to compete in the contest and won the GOLD MEDAL for the tennis portion.  If you haven't tried INSANITY: The Asylum it is a great program to attempt after completing INSANITY.  It definitely pushes you harder and brings your performance to the next level.  Beachbody is going to be releasing Asylum Volume 2 shortly.  I can't wait to push myself through the next chapter of the ASYLUM!I 

This weekend I have a 17 mile run scheduled.  The mileage is ramping up and the INSANITY workouts are getting more intense.  Welcome to the 2nd half of INSANITY MARATHON TRAINING!

-James B.
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